


Broken Again

by Donatellosgirl36



Series: Bound Volume 2 [1]
Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M, Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-14
Updated: 2017-11-28
Packaged: 2018-12-15 08:44:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 45,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11802543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Donatellosgirl36/pseuds/Donatellosgirl36
Summary: BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND – The Bound Series Volume 2 No.1. Life forces us to make decisions and we grow in the process. As Kaz and Ona must make their choices, the past tries to interfere. Mikey discovers just how bittersweet life is. And April, meanwhile, is forced to make some decisions of her own. Time is an unstoppable force that we must adapt to or risk growing stagnant.





	1. Domino Effect

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own the original TMNT, just all their wives and babies and such. 
> 
> A/N: For everyone that requested the series return. We will pick up a year after where we left our lovely family in “A Never Ending Bond” Chapter 15. This will be the 26th installment in the Bound series, but I’m dubbing this Volume 2, Issue Number 1. If you are just joining us, read the character/family map on my profile page. Thank you all for your undying support!

Kaz rolled over and slipped an arm around his wife. Ona smiled as she snuggled into him. His fingers slipped through her silky locks. “Morning, beautiful.”

She giggled. “Good morning, handsome.” There was a long moment of contented silence as they enjoyed each other’s warmth and affection. As he continued to run his large fingers through her ebony locks, she considered bringing up a subject she’d been thinking over for some time. “Hey, Kazzey, I’ve been thinking about something.”

“Hmm, what’s that?” He murmured, still not fully awake.

“I’ve been thinking that maybe it’s time we…had a baby.” She felt him stiffen, the gentle stroking of her hair stilled almost instantly.

“I’m not sure I’m ready to talk about that.” He said after a very long moment.

She scooted back and tilted her head up so she could see his face. “But-.”

He frowned. “Aren’t I enough for you? We’re still young. We have plenty of time for that.”

“Of course, you’re enough for me.” She cupped his cheek. “And a baby wouldn’t change that. It would just-.”

He pulled away from her and sat up. “I don’t want to talk about it.” He sighed. “I’m just not ready.” He stood up and began pulling on his gear and mask.

Ona sat up as she felt a jolt of fear rush through her. Had she pushed too hard. Kaz was her anchor. He was her entire life. Her first memory was of him and he was in nearly every memory since then. “Kazzey, wait. We don’t have to talk about it. Okay?”

He stopped at the door, his hand on the knob. He opened it slowly, glancing back at her over his shoulder. “I have to get to practice or Uncle Leo will be mad I’m late again.”

“Actually, Leo isn’t here.”

Kaz stuck his head out the door at his dad’s voice. He frowned at the sight of his father. It looked like he’d been up a while. “What do you mean he isn’t here?”

Mikey glanced up from his phone, where he was standing in his own bedroom door. “April called Donnie about an hour ago, she fell in her bathtub. Donnie told her to call an ambulance and then he, Sarah, Leo and Jamie left to meet her at the hospital.”

Kaz’s frown deepened. “Is she okay?”

“Haven’t heard much yet.” Mikey stuck his phone in his belt. “Raph’s going to handle practice this morning.”

Kaz made a face. “Oh…”

“You got a problem with that?” Raph asked stepping into the hall from the stairwell.

Kaz shook his head. “Uh, nope.” But that wasn’t exactly the truth. Raph tended to push them a lot harder than Leo. He didn’t pull his punches as much either, which meant there tended to be more accidental injuries.

Ona’s warm hand touched his arm and he looked down into her slightly damp eyes. “Kazzey…”

He touched her cheek. He hadn’t meant to upset her. “It’s okay. I promise.” He pecked her lightly on the lips. She caught his hand and opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by a harsh cough. He looked up to see his father turn back into his bedroom.

Mikey sat beside Kala on their bed and rubbed her back. “You okay, babe?”

She coughed into her tissue again and then took in as deep of a breath as she could manage. “Yeah, I’m alright.” He frowned, but wasn’t sure what to say that he hadn’t said already. The fact was something was going to have to give. He knew Kala didn’t like Donnie fussing over her, but this cough had been going on for a long time. Granted it did seem to nearly go away at times. In the mornings, however, it always seemed worse.

Mikey glanced up to see Kaz standing in the doorway. His expression clearly asked, “She’s still not feeling well?” The older turtle shook his head, letting him know that whatever was making her sick was still happening.

There was a heavy knock up the hall followed by Raph’s voice. “Yoshi! Get your shell to the dojo in five!”

Mikey couldn’t help the small smile. “You better move it. Don’t want to make the sensei mad.” Kaz gave a derisive snort, but headed for the stairs anyways. Mikey turned back to his slender wife. He pushed a hair behind her pointed ear. “I’ll take care of breakfast this morning. Do you want anything special?”

She smiled, wrapping her arms around him and pressing her cheek against his chest. “Maybe some soup.”

Mikey pressed a kiss to her brow. “Do you want me to bring it up here, so you can rest?”

She shook her head. “No, really I’m okay. I’ll come downstairs.”

His arm tightened around her. “Are you sure?” She nodded. “Come on then. Sarah is usually up a lot earlier than this to get started.” He stood, pulling her up beside him.

They made their way to the living room to find Cat settled on the couch sipping coffee, while Katsu pedaled his tricycle around the large space. Mira and K-three were already in the dojo. Cat gave them a drowsy smile. “Hey, guys.” She glanced towards the kitchen. “Do you need help with breakfast, Mikey?”

He chuckled. “From you? No way. Sarah’d kill me.”

Cat glared. “My cooking skills have improved. Don’t you think so, Kala?”

The Neutrino covered her grin with a slender hand. Mikey snorted. “Not enough to risk Sarah’s wrath, not to mention Donnie’s, if you destroy something in there.”

“So, you’re going to make breakfast all by yourself?” She asked incredulously.

“No, I can help.” Ona appeared beside Mikey, making him grin.

“See? We’ve got this.” He urged Kala to sit down and turned to sling an arm around his daughter-in-law. “Me and the squirt will whip something fabuloso up!” Ona giggled as they disappeared into the kitchen.

Cat’s drowsy smile faded a bit as she looked at her sister-in-law. “You still not feeling very good?” Kala just sighed and didn’t meet her sharp green eyes. “I didn’t think so. Listen, take it from me. I should have told Donnie I was having headaches, I might have been able to prevent the aneurism from rupturing.” She reached across the space between them and squeezed her hand. “We love you, sis, and we’re worried. You know we’ll help, if we can.”

Kala slowly lifted her head. “I know. But it feels like such a stupid thing to worry about. It’s just a cough.”

“And mine was just a headache.” Cat reminded her.

Kala sighed. “Okay, I’ll talk to Donnie.”

Cat’s smile was now bright. “Good.”

Upstairs, Yoshi yawned as he stepped into the hall and ambled towards the stairs. He paused to stretch as he reached them and a familiar sensation tickled him. He glanced up the stairwell to see Star. Her blonde hair was still slightly muffed and she was still wearing her pajamas. He smirked. He’d come to love seeing her in the mornings. She was obviously not a morning person, but forced herself up to have breakfast with them. He suspected it was for him mainly. “Mornin’.”

She plodded down the steps, to stop just above him, so she was at his height. “Aren’t you going to be late for training?”

Yoshi shrugged. “It’s worth it to see you in bunny slippers.”

She snickered. “You’re going to have to run laps again.”

Taking her hand, he pulled her down another step. “Like I said, worth it.” Her pale blue eyes slid shut as he brushed his lips lightly over hers. His smirk returned as she shivered. “Don’t you think it’s worth it?”

She narrowed her eyes and grabbed his mask tails, pulling him into a firm warm kiss. “Totally worth it.”

“Yoshi!” Cat’s voice carried up the stairwell.

He let out a groan and rolled his eyes. “I gotta go. See you at breakfast.” He started to pull away, but she tugged him forward one more time, to press another kiss to his mouth. This one sent fire through his body. He wanted to pull her into his arms and never let go.

She at last pulled away, releasing his mask tails. “Go on.”

A broad grin spread across his face before he turned and took the stairs three at a time. His mother was standing near the bottom as he came flying off. “You’re late!”

“I know!” He leapt over Katsu, dashing into the dojo. He was prepared for any punishment he might be dulled out. Because, it had been definitely worth it.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

By the time breakfast was ready, Raph had received a text from Leo. April had fractured her hip in the fall and they were taking her back for surgery. He said they’d have to wait for her to get out of recovery, before heading home. He also said they’d be bringing April back with them.

“Kala and I can fix up one of the spare rooms on Leo’s floor.” Cat offered as they ate.

“She probably will not be able to climb the stairs though.” Mira poked at her waffle. She was worried about her aunt. April was getting older. She was already in her seventies.

K-three rubbed her shell warmly. “We can carry her up there.”

“Definitely.” Yoshi quickly agreed.

“But what about later? She isn’t going to want to be cooped up in that room all the time.” Shinta cut a slice off his sausage.

Mira frowned thoughtfully. “You know, Dad’s got the plans for an elevator in the lab. We just haven’t gotten around to putting any of it into action.”

“Well, this sounds like the perfect time. Why don’t you two start working on it?” Raph pointed at Shinta. “You can use the runt, if you need help.”

“Runt!” Shinta glared and Raph chuckled.

K-three smiled at the young turtle. “Actually, it would be helpful. The more hands we have the faster we can get it done.”

Mira nodded with the same smile. “Yep, you can be our go-for.”

Shinta frowned for a moment and then shrugged. “Sure, since it’s for Aunt April.”

“Well, if you’re gonna take those two away from us. We’ll need a hand.” Kaz told Raph.

“Me and Mikey will come help out for now.”

Beside him, Cat frowned. “I can still work on bikes, you know. It _was_ my shop to begin with.”

Raph squeezed her hand. “I know, darlin’, but I’d just rather you not get stressed out. It’s been pretty hectic out there lately.” Cat frowned but complied. She knew he was just being overprotective, but she found it harder and harder to argue with him these days.

Mikey grinned. “Alright, sounds like we got a plan.” He raised an eye-ridge. “And we didn’t even need Leo to do it.” Everyone laughed as they broke off to do their assigned tasks.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

Kaz frowned as he watched Ona walk through the large work area of the shop, headed back to the front. Normally she would stop and say something to him or play with his mask tails, something that would just show she was thinking of him. She’d never flat out ignored him.

“You two fightin’?”

Kaz turned his head to see Yoshi watching him. He looked back at the bike he was working on. “No.”

Yoshi snorted. “Sure seems like it.”

“Why?”

Yoshi pointed at the Harley his cousin had been working on. “’Cause you been workin’ on that same bike for over an hour and she ain’t said word one to you this mornin’.”

Kaz finally lifted his head to glare at him. “It ain’t none of your business, Yoshi.”

Something in his older cousin’s tone caught him. Yoshi’s expression softened. “You want me to talk to her?”

“No!” Kaz said sharply, then sighed. Yoshi was only trying to help. “Sorry, I’m just a little stressed.”

Yoshi frowned, but his gaze shifted behind Kaz as Mikey stopped there. “Hey, Kaz, is anything wrong?” He eyed the door leading into the front office area. “Is she okay?”

Kaz stood, wiping his hands on a shop towel. “I just need to talk to her.”

Mikey watched his son stroll to the door and glance at the monitor to make sure there were no customers out there before opening the door and stepping through. Mikey glanced down at Yoshi and the younger turtle shrugged. He had no clue what was going on. A moment later, Star came through the door.

Yoshi raised an eye-ridge. “They kick you out?”

She shook her head. “Nope, just didn’t want to be in there. You can cut the tension with a knife.”

Yoshi smirked. “Then come here and let me show you what I’m doin’. You need to learn this stuff.”

Star sauntered over as Mikey went back to what he was doing. She sat on the floor beside him. “Why do I have to learn to do this? Ona doesn’t have to.”

“Ona helps out wherever we need her, but I have a feelin’ you’re gonna be in here with me most of the time.” He gave her a sly smile.

She scooted a little closer to him, until their arms were touching. “I like the sound of that.”

He grinned. “Me too.”

In the office, Kaz took Ona’s hands in his. “I’m sorry about earlier. I’m just…” He blew out a puff of air in frustration.

“Not ready.” She dropped her eyes. “I understand. It’s alright.”

He lifted her chin to meet his eyes. “No, it’s not. I didn’t have to be so rough about it. It’s not like I don’t want to have kids. I do, just not right now.” She gave a small nod and he pulled her into an embrace. “I’m sorry. Let me make it up to you. Let’s go out tonight.” He pressed a kiss to her brow. “Just the two of us.”

She smiled slightly and slipped her arms around his neck. “Oh, Kazzey…”

He let out another shuddering breath, burying his face in her dark locks. “I love you, babe, and I want to make you happy.”

“I love you too. And you do make me happy every day.” She turned her head to press a kiss along his jaw. She hadn’t been angry with him, just very confused. She’d thought it was time they took the next step. And sharing their love with a little one, just seemed like the right next step. She sighed, tightening her grip on her spouse. But she’d rather have Kaz than lose him over something like this. “All I need is you.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

It was very late in the afternoon, when Leo, Jamie, Donnie, and Sarah returned with April. The surgery had gone very well, but she still needed help as they crossed the dojo into the living room. “Sit here, April.” Leo and Don lowered her onto the couch.

She panted softly, beads of sweat forming on her brow. “Thanks, guys.”

Jamie sat beside her. “Is there anything we can get you, April?”

The older woman smiled a bit, still very tired. “No, thank you, Jamie. I just need to rest for a minute.”

Cat came down the stairs, dusting her hands on her pants. She’d been helping Mira and K-three. “Hey!” She came around to sit on the coffee table across from their old friend. “How are you feeling?”

“Tired.” April took in a deep breath and closed her eyes.

Cat squeezed her hand. “Well, we’ve set you up a room upstairs.”

April cracked open an eye. “What? Why?”

Don and Leo exchanged a look and the elder brother moved to sit on the other side of their friend. “April, we’ve talked it over and we think it’s best you stay with us.”

Her brow furrowed and then she nodded. “Just until I get better.”

Leo frowned and shook his head. “No, from now on.”

April frowned as well. “You want me to move in? I think that should be my decision, don’t you?”

“We’re worried about you, April.” Don said softly, drawing her attention. “You’re all alone over there in your apartment. What if something else happens? What if next time, you can’t get to your phone?”

Sarah placed a hand on her shoulder. “You’re a part of this family and you know that we take care of our own. We want you here, so we can help you. Your hip replacement is going to take a long time to heal. You’ve done so much for us. Let us do for you for a change.”

April sighed. As much as she hated to admit it, they were right. She’d been struggling on her own for a while. Here they had a household full of active young adults to help out. Plus, she would enjoy being able to see everyone all the time. Still it was hard giving up her independence. She’d held on to it for so long. “Okay, but what about all my things?”

Leo patted her hand. “You don’t worry about that. We’ll bring everything here.”

Jamie nodded. “And if there is anything else you need, we’ll get it. Okay?”

April gave a small nod, her eyes misting. “Thanks guys.”

Cat grinned. “What else is family for, if you can’t mooch off them once in a while?”


	2. Ups and Downs

They hadn’t been there long when the rest of the family arrived back from the shop. K-three, Yoshi, Kaz, and Shinta coaxed April onto a blanket and lifted her easily. She gripped Yoshi and K-three’s shoulders with white knuckles as they began to ascend the stairs.

Leo could see how nervous she was. “Easy guys.”

Shinta snickered. “What’s the matter Aunt April? Don’t trust us?”

Her grip tightened on K-three and he chuckled. “I guess not.”

“Uh…well…it’s just that…” She stammered.

A round of chuckles went through the group and she folded her arms with a small pout.

Yoshi smiled at her. “You know we’d never let you fall.”

She sighed as they came to the last set of steps. “I know. It just feels weird being carried up the stairs.”

Kaz smirked. “Think of it as your chariot, princess.” April glared and wanted to swat his arm, but didn’t dare move. She was already in a precarious position. Her expression only made Kaz laugh harder as they came onto the top floor.

Donnie had gone ahead of them and was talking to Mira as they neared the room that was to be April’s. “You’ve done really well so far.” He gestured to the shaft she and K-three had cut into the three floors for the elevator. “And it was a good idea to put in some additional supports here.” He indicated the bracing boards along the side of the shaft. The two had made a good deal of progress in the span of a day.

“We were thinking we could just use a cage instead of an enclosed car this time. It would be lighter and it’s not like anyone but us will be using it.” Mira told him.

Don nodded, glancing over his shoulder at Sarah, who stopped near the stairs to rub a knee. “Yeah, that would be faster too.” He sighed softly, his gaze returning to his daughter. “It’s probably past time we put one of these in.” He put an arm around her with a small smile. “Thanks, sweetheart.”

She smiled when he kissed the top of her head. “I was just following your schematics.”

“And she did have help.” K-three said with a smirk as he stepped back out of April’s room.

Don chuckled lightly as his wife came to stand with them. “I’m sure she did. And it’s looking good. Leo and I’ll help you out tomorrow.”

“I can help too, if you need it.” Sarah offered. Don frowned and she felt a touch of concern and protectiveness pass through the bond.

He shook his head slowly. “You have enough to do, love, with April here. We can go scavenge the rest of what we’ll need from that building that was demolished a few days ago. It won’t take more than a few days for us to get it functional.”

Sarah frowned but didn’t object. Her list of chores had just grown to nearly double with April’s arrival. She sighed softly. “Okay.”

He smiled, squeezing her hand. “It’s been a long day already.”

She nodded. “You get April settled in. I’ll start dinner.” She pecked his cheek before walking off.

After getting April situated and explaining her meds and therapy, Don headed back to his lab. Mira and K-three had decided to continue working until dinnertime. As he neared his lab, Mikey appeared. “Hey, Don, could I talk to you, bro?”

Seeing the stress lines in his brother’s features, Donatello knew something was up. “Sure, what’s going on?”

“I want you to take a look at Kala.” Mikey said flatly.

Don frowned deeply. “She still has a cough?”

“Yeah. I mean, it comes and goes but sometimes it’s really bad. I think there might be something worse going on.”

Don rubbed his chin as he sat in his rolling chair. “It’s been, what, more than a year since it started?”

Mikey sat in another chair, his head down. “Nearly two.”

“It does sound like it could be more than a cold or allergies. Is she okay with an exam?”

Mikey shook his head again. “I don’t care if she is or not anymore.” He pulled a tissue from his belt and held it out to his brother. “I found this in the trash this morning.”

Don took it, his eyes widening. “Mikey, she’s coughing up blood! How long has this been going on!”

Mikey didn’t look at him. “I don’t know. I think she’s been hiding it from me.”

“Hey, Dad.” Kaz stepped into the doorway and Mikey shot Don a look. Donnie closed his hand around the tissue, hiding it. But Kaz caught the look. “Is everything okay?”

Mikey smiled and waved a hand. “Yeah, me and Don were just talking.”

Kaz frowned, not fully convinced. He decided against pressing the issue though, he had more important things to take care of. “I was just going to let you know, me and Ona are going out tonight. Just in case you start wondering where we are.”

Mikey gave him a knowing smile. “Had a fight, huh?”

Kaz blushed a bit. “Yeah, sorta.”

“Better make it right then.” Mikey held a distant look in his eyes. “You gotta remind them how important they are sometimes.” His gaze shifted to the floor as memories returned to him of a broken and battered Kala.

Kaz raised an eye-ridge. “Okay…. Well, we’ll probably be back late.”

“Have fun.” Don smiled warmly.

Kaz returned it. “We will.”

When he was gone, Don looked back at the blood-stained tissue. “I’ll run some test on this, see if I can get anything off it. But I’m still going to need to see her. We need to take some x-rays and maybe some ultra-sounds.” He reached across the space between them to put a hand on Mikey’s arm. “We’ll figure this out, bro.”

Mikey swallowed hard, fighting the sting of tears. “Thanks, Donnie.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

Kaz pushed open his bedroom door, feeling the oddness of his conversation with his father still clinging to him. “You ready, babe?”

“Yeah.” Ona stepped from their bathroom wearing a sleek black dress that hugged her curves with a thin gray cardigan on top. “I hope I didn’t overdress.”

His eyes lit as they followed her curves, finally resting on her dark brown eyes. He moved towards her like he was being pulled by a magnet. “No, it’s perfect.” He played with a lock of pink that framed her face. “You’re perfect.”

She smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck. “You’re such a smooth talker.”

He chuckled lightly, his own arms slipping around her slim waist. “Babe, with you I don’t even have to try, because it’s all true.”

He captured her mouth with his and her scent spiked. He fought down the desire to talk her into staying home after all. This was a night for her - to remind her just how much she meant to him and how much he needed her. His grip tightened as he deepened the kiss. She was precious and wonderful. She was his world.

Ona stepped back, panting softly. “We better go, before I change my mind.”

He grinned. “I was thinking the same thing.”

She giggled as he took her hand and they headed downstairs. Yoshi and Star were snuggled up on one couch while Shinta sat on another. Yoshi raised an eye-ridge. “You guys goin’ out?” Lately the two couples had been double dating a lot, but Kaz hadn’t mentioned anything about tonight.

“Yeah, see ya later.” Kaz opened the front door, letting Ona step out before him as he turned his holo on.

When they were gone, Yoshi glanced down at Star. “I guess they made up.”

“Looks like it.” She leaned into him. “I’m glad too. Ona’s sweet.”

“Kaz can be an idiot at times, but he’s good to her and she’s good for him too.” Yoshi said sincerely.

“He’s not the only idiot around here.” Shinta teased.

Yoshi snorted and Star snickered. “That’s okay, ‘cause I’m used to this big idiot now.”

“Hey!” Yoshi barked, but there was no real malice behind it. “Who you callin’ an idiot!” In a flash, he had her pinned to the couch as his hands deftly tickled her sides.

Star squealed, trying desperately to fight off the large turtle. “I….I….I give!” She choked out between fits of laughter.

Yoshi smirked. “That’s better. Now say you’re sorry.” Instead, she stuck her tongue out at him. His eyes narrowed mischievously. “I got better things you can do with that tongue.” Without further ado, his mouth crashed down on hers. She had absolutely no desire to fight him as her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer.

Shinta groaned, rolling his eyes. “Really?” He stood, tossing the remote down and heading up the stairs.

Yoshi rose up to watch his young cousin disappear. “What was that about?”

Star pulled at his mask tails, bringing his attention back to her. “Right now, I don’t honestly care.” Her breath was hot on his neck, making him shiver. Whatever Shinta’s problem was, it could wait for a little while longer.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

Wikoli Hale frowned at the little hole-in-the-wall restaurant. It wasn’t much to look at, but it was decent enough. The people around him were dressed neatly and were holding low conversations. The room was lit mainly by candles on the tables, giving one a feeling of anonymity, which he preferred. He was here on business. The kind he didn’t want people snooping into. Not that anyone here would know him. This city was far from his home island of O’ahu and quite frankly he was ready to get back. There he was a big fish in a small pound, but here there were way too many sharks.

He’d just received his food, when a young couple entered. They were seated not far from him. As he ate, he watched them. There was something familiar about them. He frowned to himself as he watched them being lovey-dovey. The young man was playfully feeding the young woman with his chopsticks. The more he watched the more the girl seemed to remind him of someone. He squinted. _If she were younger, thinner, no highlights and no smile..._ He almost dropped his fork, when the pieces finally fit.

Kaz chuckled as he teased Ona with another bite of orange-glazed chicken. She finally grabbed his hand and stuffed the piece in her mouth. “If you’re going to feed me, then feed me.” She mumbled around the food, before swallowing. “Because I’m hungry.”

His laugh increased and he gave her a sly grin. “Oh, I bet you are.”

She shoved his shoulder playfully with a laugh of her own. “You’re so bad, Kazzey!”

“I can’t help it, if you drive me crazy, babe.” He leaned close, nuzzling his beak into the crook of her neck. She closed her eyes, ignoring the holo-image and reveling in the familiar feel of his skin against hers.

It wasn’t long before they’d eaten most of their food. “I’m going to make a pit stop before we leave.” Kaz stood. “I’ll be right back.”

She rolled her eyes at his overprotectiveness. “I’ll be fine. I’ll wait for you here.”

He gave her nose a little tweak. “Alright.” He chuckled when her eyes crossed to see the offended appendage.

She rolled her eyes again as he walked off. Kaz was genuinely trying to make up for their disagreement that morning. She half frowned, playing with a lone pea with her chopsticks. She still, however, wanted to talk about a baby. It wasn’t like them having a baby would harm her. She understood the process and had seen it done with Katsu. They would draw a little of her blood and a little of Kaz’s, and Don or maybe Mira would combine it and place it in a turtle egg. Then it would grow in the incubator. It seemed simple enough and it obviously worked. After all, there were five of them that had been created using the very same method.

She sighed. Maybe it wasn’t that he was scared of the process. Maybe it was something else. Maybe he… Her head came up as someone sat across from her at the table. She frowned at the man with a tattoo curling down one side of his neck. “Can I help you?”

He continued to stare at her for a long moment and she fidgeted.

“I think you have the wrong table. My husband will be back in a minute. We’ll be leaving, if you need this table.” She watched him lean on the table with a curious expression.

“You don’t know who I am?” He asked after a long moment.

She frowned. What kind of question was that? “No, should I?”

Wikoli leaned back. For an instant, he thought perhaps he’d made a mistake, but then he saw the scar along her neck. “Malani?”

Again she frowned at him. “I don’t know who you are, or who Malani is. But you need to leave before my husband comes back.”

He pointed a finger at her. “You are Malani.”

She shook her head. “My name is Ona. Ona Hamato.”

The man shook his head. “No, I know you. I wasn’t completely certain at first but now I am. You are Malani Rivers.”

Ona stared at him. Was he insane? Or was it possible he really knew who she was? Her adoptive family had told her they had found nothing on her, that they couldn’t find her real name or anything else. She had simply accepted it, because she’d wanted to stay with Kaz. But that didn’t mean she hadn’t existed before her memory had been wiped. And this man was telling her, he knew her.  She gave him a sidelong look. “You’re saying you know me? And you think I’m this Malani Rivers person?”

His eyes glowed in the dim candle light. “I don’t think. I know.”

There was rough clearing of a throat and Wikoli looked up to see the young man standing behind Ona. Kaz narrowed his eyes. “Excuse me, but what do you think you’re doing?” He stared at the stranger for a long moment, an image slowly floating back to him of a younger man.

Ona looked up at him. “Kazzey, this man says he knows me. He-“

“We’re leaving.” He half pulled her from her chair, his eyes never leaving the man.

Ona’s eyes widened. “But Kazzey, if he knows me, shouldn’t we-“

“No.” Kaz growled, glaring daggers at the man. “He’s mistaken.”

“No, I’m not.” Wikoli leaned back in his chair with an arrogant smirk.  “She might not remember me, but I remember her. And now that she knows that I know, she’s gonna want to know more about who she is.”

Kaz’s growl increased. “Who she is, is _my_ wife.”

Wikoli looked past Kaz at Ona. “He doesn’t want you to know who you were. But if you want to know, I’ll tell you. I’ll be here through the end of the week and I’ll leave my number with the bartender.”

Kaz outright snarled. “She doesn’t need anything from you!” He turned back to Ona, gripping her shoulders firmly. “Wait for me outside.”

Her eyebrows shot into her hairline. “What!”

He cupped her cheeks. “Ona, babe, please.”

She could feel him trembling all over. She glanced between the two males one more time, confused by what was going on. At last she relented. Her heart knew her anchor. “Okay…okay.” She pecked his cheek. “I’ll be outside.”

Kaz watched her go and waited three whole heartbeats before turning back to the man. Before Wikoli could blink, Kaz had him out of his chair and pinned against the wall. “I know who you are, you bastard, and I know what you did to her!” He hissed low and fierce. “And if you so much as think about coming anywhere near her again, I _will_ kill you!” He planted a fist in Wikoli’s stomach for good measure, making the man doubleover. “And I don’t make idle threats.” Kaz turned and stormed out the restaurant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick question, should I remove the epilogue from "A Never Ending Bond?" I did put a note that the series continues. But if it's too confusing I can take it down. If you've already answered this question elsewhere, don't worry about answering again.


	3. Inevitable

Shinta stepped from the stairwell into the warm night air. He let out a heavy sigh as he made his way to the greenhouse. This place had become something of a getaway for him. He could find a quiet place to meditate and think in here, and no one disturbed him. As he stepped into the glass building, he found his uncle there. Raph acknowledged him with a nod, but didn’t question him otherwise. And for that, Shinta was grateful. He understood why Raph came up here so much and why he preferred the presence of the plants compared to their rambunctious family at times. Plants didn’t talk back, they didn’t judge, they didn’t accuse or tease, they simply accepted what you gave them without complaint. Often times, Shinta and Raph would be there together but never say a word to one another. Shinta didn’t feel like his uncle was being unkind. He knew if he needed to talk that he was there and would listen. In a way, it was more comforting to simply share the silence with him.

And right now, that was what Shinta wanted. Needing to work through these new emotions, he found a place near the back and settled down into a meditative pose. He wasn’t really sure what he was feeling lately. But every time he saw Yoshi with Star or even Kaz with Ona, it stirred something inside him. Perhaps it was jealousy, but of what he wasn’t sure. Ona had been with them for several years and Star for nearly one. They were part of the family. He replayed the scene in the living room. What had made him so angry? And why did it still make him angry?

He bit his lip, trying to release the emotions, so he could think more clearly. However, it wasn’t working very well. He groaned inwardly. _What is wrong with me! I should be happy for Yoshi. I should be glad someone likes that big dope._ The feeling lingered. He tried to focus on Star. Maybe it was her that was throwing him off somehow. But she alone drew nothing to the surface. His angry wasn’t with her or Yoshi alone for that matter.

 _It’s them together that bothers me. Yes, that’s what it is. But it’s not just them._ His mind drifted through the large family, couple after couple appearing before him, a slow realization evolving. _I’m lonely._

Somehow, he’d become the odd turtle out again. Yoshi and Kaz had found them someone to love and who willingly returned that love. But with Yoshi now occupied, Shinta was left on his own a lot. He didn’t really have anyone his age to hang out with. And he could only spend so much time chasing Katsu around. He let out a heavy sigh and dropped from mediation.

It was unfair. Why did he always have to be a third wheel? Mira and K-three often tried to include him in what they were doing, but it still felt odd. They were so much older than him and he often felt like he was intruding on them. _No matter who I hang out with, I’m still odd turtle out._

“Hey, you okay, kiddo?” Raph’s voice though gravely, held genuine concern.

Shinta opened his eyes to find his uncle watching him. He ducked his head and rubbed his eyes. “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just a little crowded downstairs right now.”

Raph seemed to read between the lines. “Sounds like you need a hobby. Somethin’ to keep you busy and away from the rest of ‘em.” Shinta gave him a sideways look. Raph gestured at him. “Come here. Let me show you somethin’.”

Shinta let out another sigh, but did as he was asked. He watched as Raph watered one of the many plants. The older turtle gave him a sad smile. “Your mom, she knew a lot about herbs and stuff. She taught us all a lot about ‘em, especially Mira. She’s the reason I got so many of these now.”

Shinta looked around the greenhouse filled with dozens of plants. “Really?”

“Yeah. You see every plant here’s got a purpose and every one’s a little different. Some like more light than others. Some like more water than others. But you know what they all got in common?”

Shinta frowned, looking around the room. “There’s two of every kind.”

Raph nodded with another small smile. “That’s right. There’s gotta be two of ‘em to keep each other alive and thrivin’. And I think maybe that’s what you were really thinkin’ about just now.” Shinta blushed a little and Raph let out a small chuckle. “Don’t worry, it’s pretty normal. I was about your age when I started my first garden. Had to find somethin’ to keep my mind off, you know, stuff. Back then we all figured we’d be alone our entire lives, even Donnie. It wasn’t until Sarah came back that we even let the thought of bein’ with someone enter our heads. Speakin’ of which, don’t ever let her up here. Girl may be great with just about everything else, but she’s got the touch of death when it comes to plants.”

Shinta snickered. “I’ll remember that.”

Raph looked back down at one of the plants he was pruning. “Look, I know you been feelin’ left out, ‘cause of Yoshi and Star.”

Shinta blinked. “You do?”

Raph nodded. “Yeah, it’s kinda obvious the way you been actin’ around ‘em.”

Shinta frowned. “Really? Because I just figured it out myself.”

“Well, if you want I can teach you some of this stuff. It might get your mind off all that.” He looked back up at his nephew and put an arm around his shoulders. “And don’t worry, one day you’ll find that person you’re supposed to be with. Just give it time, you’ve got plenty of that.”

Shinta smiled. “Thanks, Uncle Raph.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

Ona paced back and forth on the sidewalk. She didn’t understand what was going on. Why had Kaz got so angry? Why had he sent her outside? If this man knew her, wasn’t that a good thing? Maybe she still had some family out there that was looking for her. A spark of excitement went through her. What if she had a mom and dad that were looking for her? _That would be so awesome!_

But the excitement disappeared the moment the door to the restaurant opened and Kaz came storming out. “Come on, we’re going home.” He snatched her hand and started dragging her down the street.

She tugged at him. “Kaz, wait! What’s going on! That man knew me!”

Kaz did not slow his pace. “No, he didn’t! He was lying and you’ll never have to see him again!”

Ona planted her feet, forcing him to stop. “No! Tell me what’s going on now, Kazzey!”

He turned to look at her and saw Wikoli step out of the restaurant. The man spotted them and started in their direction. Kaz frowned, looking back down at his wife. “Okay, I’ll tell you everything, but only once we’re home. Alright?”

Ona let out a breath. “Alright.”

Kaz turned and hurried up the sidewalk until he spotted a fire-escape. Pulling her into the alley, he squatted down. “Climb on. We’ll move faster on the rooves.”

She hesitated. She wasn’t exactly dressed for leaping across buildings. “But…”

He looked back at her over his shoulder and his eyes pleaded with her. “Ona, please.”

His plea struck her hard and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He enclosed his large hands around her slender thighs, pulling her legs up to his waist. With a push off the ground, he sprang from one level of the fire-escape to the next. When they at last landed on the roof, Ona reached around with one hand and turned off his holo. “Kazzey, what’s wrong?”

He didn’t pause as he started to sprint home. “I promise, I’ll tell you.” He sighed. “Just let me get us home first.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

Yoshi slid his hands over Star’s shoulders and down her sides to press her against him. She let out a soft moan, her fingers digging into his shoulders. They’d moved from the living room to her room some time ago, not wanting more interruptions of their make-out session. She pulled him down on top of her, making the old mattress creak. He released her lips to nip her neck and her body arched into him.

“Yoshi…” She murmured. His name from her lips made his body rush with heat. He let out a low growl in response, his hands sliding beneath her shirt. She gasped, her grip tightening on him.  “Yoshi, I want to be with you.”

His movements stilled and he rose up to look at her with a stunned expression. “What?”

She smirked. “I want to be with you. I want to be with you more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life.”

He sat back, still staring at her. “Star, I….”

She sat up as well, slipping her top off to reveal a black lacy bra. He couldn’t prevent his gaze from roaming over the perfect body before him. He swallowed hard, his tongue thick in his mouth. Star cupped his cheeks, drawing him into a series of kisses. “Make love to me, Yoshi.” She whispered the words against his lips.

His whole body was trembling now and he was fighting for a coherent thought. Finally, he managed to pull away from her. “Star…wait….I…” He stood up and walked a few paces away, keeping his back to her.

Star frowned. “What is it?”

He let out a shuddering breath. “You don’t know what you’re asking.”

“Yes, I do.” She said firmly. “I want you. I need you.” Her frown deepened. “Don’t you want me?”

He turned to look at her, his eyes wide. He hurried back to kneel beside the bed and grasp her hands. “Oh, I do. I want you so bad it hurts. But we can’t do this now.” She stared down at him in confusion and he stroked her cheek, trying to smooth away the worry lines. “I can’t dishonor my family that way. I can’t dishonor you that way.”

She just stared at him. “I don’t understand.”

“There should be commitment before we do that sort of thing. It’s the right thing to do.”

She blinked, starting to understand. “You mean we should be married first?” He gave a small nod. She shrugged. “But nobody does that any more. I was probably in ten different foster homes and only one had a married couple. It’s just an old tradition. It’s not necessary if we love each other. And I do love you, you big lug.”

“I love you too, but that’s not the point. Marriage is more than an old tradition. It’s a promise. It’s important, especially to us.” He stood up again and dragged a hand down his face. “Look, you know I ain’t good with words. Maybe you should talk to my mom or one of my aunts or even Mira. They could explain it to you a lot better than I can.”

She shrugged. “Well, if that’s what you want then we can just get married.”

Yoshi frowned and started to respond. “That’s not-. Could you put that back on?”

She blinked at him again. “Huh? What?”

“Your shirt.”

“Why?”

He blushed. “’Cause it’s distractin’.”

She rolled her eyes, but pulled it on anyways. Standing, she moved towards him. “Okay, if it makes you happy then we can get married first. How about tomorrow?”

Yoshi frowned at her, a flicker of hurt passing through his green eyes. “I don’t want you to marry me just so we can do that.” He gestured at the bed. “I want you to marry me to be with me not just here, but here and here.” He touched her heart then her head and sighed when she continued to stare at him blankly. “Just think about what I said.” He pressed a kiss to her cheek and left the room.

Star stared after him, her mind reeling. “What just happened?”

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

“Mikey! Why did you do that!” Kala paced back and forth across their bedroom.

“Babe, I know you don’t like being fussed over, but this could be serious.” Mikey pleaded.

“I was going to go see him myself! I’d already decided!”

He looked down at his hands. “Would you have told him you were coughing up blood?”

She paused mid-stride to turn and stare at her husband. “What are you-?” The words died in her mouth as she watched her turtle’s shoulders tremble. She walked forward, slipping her arms around his neck. “It’s okay. It’s okay.”

His arms wrapped tightly around her, clutching her slender frame close. “I got scared. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

She sighed, placing a kiss on his cheek. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Please, Kala. Please, just do this for me.”

His voice choked and her heart broke. “Alright. Let’s go.”

He stepped back to look at her with unshed tears glimmering in his eyes. “Don’t leave me.”

She stroked his cheek. “I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.”

“Promise?” His blue gaze begged for reassurance.

And even though she wasn’t all that certain herself, she gave it anyways. “I promise.” She pressed a warm kiss to his lips and rested her forehead against his.

Mikey took several deep breaths, willing away the fear in his chest. “Come on, Donnie’s waiting.” He took her hand and they headed for the lab together.

Upstairs, Sarah quietly put out the supplies they might need for Kala’s exam. Donnie’s large hand landed on her shoulder and gently turned her to look at him. “What’s wrong, love?”

She sighed, giving her head a little shake before meeting his gaze. “I don’t know. I guess, I’m feeling a little old.”

He frowned. “Because I didn’t want you to help with the elevator.” She didn’t respond verbally, but he felt the slight sting through the bond. He let out a heavy sigh. “It’s not that I don’t think you can do it. I know you can, but…”

Sarah looked away. “I’m not like you or Leo or Mira. I’m not a ninja. I’m not tough or strong. I’m just…a weak Mazar.”

Don snorted, making her look up at him. “Nothing about you is weak, my love. But you are right about one thing. Your body isn’t made to handle the same stress ours are. You have more chance of being hurt.” He slipped his arms around her, pulling her close and nuzzling into her graying locks. “And that’s what I’m afraid of.”

She gave a slight nod against his plastron. “I know it is. I just can’t help feeling, well, sidelined.”

“You shouldn’t. You do more than your fair share already. I don’t know how you manage to keep our home running like you do.”

She stepped back to give him a small smile. “I do have help.” They turned at the sound of someone entering the room to find Mikey and Kala. “Speaking of helpers.” She smiled at the Neutrino. “You’re my best one, so we have to get you feeling better.” She stepped forward, taking her hand and pulling her around to lay on the cot.

Don frowned. He already had a suspicion of what may be going on based on the sample Mikey had brought him earlier in the evening. What he was unsure of was how severe things might be. Mikey looked up at him and Don could almost feel the anxiety roll off him. He moved to his side and squeezed his shoulder. “Just try to relax, bro. We don’t know anything for sure yet.” Mikey nodded mutely, which only made Don worry for his little brother more.

“We’re just going to take some x-rays of your chest. We’ll know more then.” Sarah explained to Kala as Don moved the portable x-ray machine to hover over her.

Mikey moved up to his wife’s side and wrapped her small hand in his. Donnie positioned the machine and gave his sister-in-law a small smile. “Just stay still, okay?” She gave the tiniest of nods and he took several shots from different angles. Sarah took the panels and set them aside to process, handing him a new one each time. When they were done, Don stowed the x-ray machine.

Mikey helped Kala sit up.  “So, what do you think’s wrong?” He looked to his brother for some assurance.

Donnie frowned again. “I analyzed what you brought me earlier and I know she has pneumonia. The question that remains is how severe it is?” He looked down at the Neutrino. “How long has this been going on?”

Kala shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess…maybe…since the lair was destroyed.”

Don’s eyes widened. “What!”

She hurried to clarify. “It wasn’t all the time. Sometimes I feel almost normal. But others,” she frowned and sighed, averting her eyes, “not so much.”

“You really should have told me before now.” Don admonished in a gentle tone.

“It’s my fault too.” Mikey squeezed her hand. “I noticed a long time ago.”

“But I’m the one that insisted it was nothing.” Kala looked up at Donnie. “Isn’t pneumonia something you can treat?” She knew enough about human medicine from watching television to know that it was a somewhat common illness.

Don’s frown deepened. “Normally with humans, yes. But you’re a Neutrino, your biology is different. And I don’t know enough about it to safely give you those kinds of medications. It’s a very strong anti-bacterial.”

“Donnie?” Sarah gestured to the panels that were ready to read. He moved to her side as she began to lay them out on the light board. She covered her mouth to stifle the gasp that wanted to leave her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You're gonna need a box of tissue for the next few chapters...just saying...


	4. A New Fight

Don frowned down at Sarah, feeling her panic and grief sweep over him. He took her small hand in his and squeezed it. Reaching out with his free hand, he gently brushed away a tear that rolled down her cheek. Sarah diligently did not turn to face the couple behind her. She knew her face was flushed and her expression displayed her fear. Don sighed, steadying his nerve before turning to his brother. “Mikey, would you step outside with me for a minute?”

Both Kala and Mikey flinched. Very slowly Mikey released Kala’s hand and followed his brother out of the door. Donnie walked several feet down the hall before stopping and turning to face his younger brother. Mikey stared at him with big baby blue eyes. Don swallowed hard, struggling with both his emotions and his mate’s. Mikey’s heart was beating a mile a minute. There had to be something very wrong for his brother to pull him from the room. “Donnie…?”

“Mikey, Kala has pneumonia – a very severe case of pneumonia.”

Mikey frowned. “You already told us that.”

Don took a deep breath. “Pneumonia is where fluid and puss accumulate in the lungs. It makes it hard to breathe, causes chest pains, and often bloody mucus.”

Mikey was becoming frustrated. “Don, I don’t need a medical lesson. I need to know what’s going on with Kala.”

Donnie took his brother’s shoulders in both hands. “Mikey, Kala’s lungs are nearly full of fluid. It’s attacking her system very aggressively. It probably has something to do with her Neutrino physiology. She comes from a dry, aired planet. Her people are likely to have had very little exposure to the things she’s been exposed to here. The pneumonia has caused a lot of scaring and it’s also caused fluid to accumulate outside her lungs causing pleural effusion.”

Mikey had gone pale in Don’s hands. He didn’t know what all that meant but it sounded bad – really bad. His bottom lip trembled as he tried to force words out. “But you can help her, right? You can make her better?”

Don slowly shook his head. “I….I don’t know. Kala is the only Neutrino I’ve ever been able to examine.” He let out a heavy sigh. “I just don’t know enough to give you a yes on that. I wish I could. With all my heart, I wish I could. But I just don’t know.” He took another deep breath. “What I do know is that if a human had that much damage to their lungs…”

There was a long pause and Mikey nearly flipped. “What!”

“They wouldn’t survive it.” Don watched as Mikey’s whole body began to tremble. He pulled him into a tight embrace. “We’re going to fight this, Mikey. We’ll take her back to Neutrino. They may have advanced technology or techniques that can help.”

“I can’t lose her, Don.” Mikey’s voice was choked with a sob. “I’d be lost without her.”

Don shuddered. He knew the pain his brother was in. He’d felt it many times over with Sarah. The fear and desperation could take your breath away. He tightened his grip. “We’ll do everything we can for her. I promise.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

Kaz landed skillfully on the rooftop and knelt so Ona could climb off his shell easily. “Okay, we’re home. Now tell me what’s going on.”

He frowned, taking her hand. “I will. I promise. But I want to talk to my dad first.” Kaz was hoping he could help calm the situation and explain it to her better.

Ona’s eyes narrowed. Why did he keep putting her off! “Kaz!”

He put up his hands. It was rare that she got this mad at him. “Ona, please!”

Raph and Shinta stepped out of the greenhouse, exchanging an odd look with one another. They’d never heard Ona shout at Kaz before. He took her shoulders in his hands, his blue gaze pleading with her. “Please, just…”

At that moment, the stairway door opened and Cat stepped onto the roof. She blinked in surprise at the tense scene. “Are you two, okay?”

“Do you know where my dad’s at?” Kaz slid his hand down to encompass Ona’s.

Cat frowned. “In the lab, I think.”

Without another word, he moved past her into the stairwell. Ona followed still frowning and half thinking he was just delaying her. She began to protest again as they crossed the top floor and started down the main stairs. “Is this really necessary! Why can’t you just tell me what’s going on! Kaz!”

“Babe, please. It’ll all make sense. Just let me-“ Kaz came to an abrupt stop on the next landing, finding both his father and uncle standing near the end of the hall. “Dad, I need to…” He frowned as he took in his father’s distraught expression. “What’s going on?”

When Mikey didn’t answer right away and instead looked off in the opposite direction, Donnie stepped in. “What’s the matter?”

Kaz frowned. “He’s here.”

It took Don a moment to realize what he was saying. Mikey glanced at his son over his shoulder and shook his head, waving his hands. “I can’t….I can’t deal with this right now.” He started back down the hall.

Kaz’s frown only deepened. Now he knew something was wrong. He looked at his uncle. “What’s going on?” He repeated emphatically.

Donnie sighed, running a hand across his head and rubbing a stress knot that was beginning to form at the base of his neck. “Kaz, Leo is downstairs watching TV with Jamie. I suggest you talk to him about…that. And tell him we need to have a family meeting.” He glanced towards the lab. “Just give me about ten minutes.”

“But-!”

Don shook his head firmly. “Ten minutes.” He didn’t give his nephew the opportunity to argue as he turned and headed back to the lab.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

When Don and Mikey left the room, Kala had sat on the cot looking from the door to Sarah, who had yet to turn and look at her. After several long quiet tense minutes, Kala stood and moved to stand beside Sarah. The small brunette, hid her face behind her long locks. “Sarah?” It worried Kala that she didn’t speak, it was unusual to say the least.

Suddenly, she turned, wrapping Kala in a tight embrace. “I love you, Kala. I don’t say it enough, but I do. You know that, right?”

The Neutrino was surprised at first, but she quickly returned the hug. “Of course, I do. And I love you too.” She pushed her back to look at her with a small smile. “You’re my sister in every way that matters.” She frowned, examining the other woman’s appearance. Sarah’s face was red with emotion and her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. “Please, just tell me what’s going on.”

Sarah took a deep breath, glancing at the door. She wondered if she should wait for Donnie, but Kala deserved to know the truth. Taking a deep breath, she locked away the torrent of emotions both she and Donnie were feeling. Using the cool crisp logical part of her mind, she forced out the explanation. She turned and pulled an erasable marker from a drawer. Leaning over the x-ray panel she drew on it. “These are your lungs. Do you see how you can see through them at the top?” She circled a small portion and Kala nodded. “You should be able to do that with your whole lung. They should be nearly transparent on the x-ray.”

Kala frowned. “But they’re white.” Nearly seventy-five percent of the area she’d indicated in both lungs was a solid mass.

“The pneumonia has attacked your system very aggressively. Your lungs are full of fluid and there is significant scar tissue. This area here is called the pleural, it usually only has a small amount of fluid in it – like a lubricant – that helps you breathe. It is completely inflamed.”

“That’s why I’m having so much trouble breathing.” Kala said more to herself than Sarah.

“Yes, and the scar tissue is making it worse. Think of your lung as a paper sack that has been lined with clay. After so many layers have been applied, it can no longer open and close properly and the amount of air it can hold is reduced.”

“So, what can we do about it?”

Sarah frowned. “We can draw the fluid out using a syringe, but it’s painful.”

Kala could hear a much larger “but” in the statement. “Tell me the truth.”

Sarah shook her head, tears forming in her eyes again. “In humans, we could treat the inflammation and the infection. But that will only do so much. Those patients would likely be candidates for a lung replacement. But that’s something me and Donnie could never do for you. I don’t even know if you could take the drugs necessary to remove the pneumonia.”

Kala could feel a cold ball growing in the pit of her stomach. “Sarah, what are saying? Am I-?”

The door came open and Mikey crossed the room, pulling Kala into his arms protectively. “We’re going to beat this, babe! You’re going to be alright! I know it! We’re going to go to Neutrino and they are going to help us make you better!” He cupped her face. “I am not letting you go without a fight!”

She stared up at him, wide-eyed and pale, her heart beating loudly in her ears. This wasn’t real! It just couldn’t be! Tears began to pool in her own blue eyes as the reality of what Sarah had said set in. “Mikey…I’m scared.”

He took in a sharp breath, pulling her back against him and nuzzling against her cheek. “I’ve got you, baby. I’ve got you and I’m not letting go.” Kala let out a deep, heart wrenching sob that was muffled in his shoulder.

Sarah swiped at the tears escaping her again as Don stepped back into the doorway. She crossed the room, wrapping her arms around his waist. He let out a heavy sigh, encompassing her in a tight embrace as she shuddered at the overwhelming emotions flowing through them.

Leo’s voice filled the hall outside. “Family meeting in ten minutes in the living room.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

Kaz had watched his uncle and father walk away with a slack-jaw. Ona, who’d been quietly standing behind him during the scene, moved around to face him. Her expression was now soft and concerned. “Kazzey?”

The turtle shook his head in dismay. “I’ve never seen my father that upset before. Something’s happened.”

He took a step forward and Ona placed a hand against his plastron. “Whatever it is, I think we’re going to find out in a few minutes since they’re calling a meeting.”

Kaz frowned, his gaze shifting between his wife and the lab door. He let out a heavy sigh. “Okay, but I promised I’d tell you what’s going on.” He took her hand and started down to the bottom floor. Leo and Jamie were settled on the couch, snuggled up against each other watching the news. “Uncle Leo, I don’t mean to bother you, but…”

Seeing the serious expression on his nephew, Leo immediately straightened. “What is it?”

Kaz was unsure which topic he should broach first. “Uh, Uncle Don said he wanted a family meeting in ten minutes. It’s something serious, I think.”

Leo frowned, standing. “It usually is, if it’s Don calling the meeting.” He moved to the wall and hit the intercom which filtered his voice into every part of the old hotel. “Family meeting in ten minutes in the living room.” He released the button to turn back to Kaz, who still seemed pensive. “Is there something else you need to tell me?”

Kaz shifted from one foot to the other, his grip tightening on Ona’s hand. “He’s here, Uncle Leo. He spotted me and Ona at a restaurant.”

Leo’s eyes widened as he took in what he was being told. “Did he follow you?”

“He tried to, but I took the rooves home. He couldn’t follow us that way, even if he wanted to.” Kaz looked at the floor. He’d hoped this day would never come. “I was going to have dad help me, but he seemed….busy.”

Leo rubbed his face. The past always seemed to have a way of catching up with them. He wondered if it was just a mutant turtle thing, or if everyone had to deal with the reopening of old wounds. “What have you told her?”

“Nothing.” Kaz’s voice broke slightly.

Leo moved towards them, he took Ona by the hand and pulled her over to an adjacent sofa. She was a little surprised by the act. Leo wasn’t usually the touchy-feely type. He sat down and she followed suit. “Ona, what we are about to tell you, we kept from you because we care about you. In all truth, we hoped you’d never have to hear this story. But realize we decided to keep your past from you for a very good reason.”

Ona pulled her hand away from the older turtle. She’d never been disrespectful to Kaz’s family and in particular his uncle – the head of their family. But anger crept across her face. “You _decided_? **_You_ ** decided! What gives you the right to decide what I know about my own past!” She turned her head to glare at Kaz standing just behind her. “Any of you! If it’s my life, I have a right to know what was in it!”

Kaz moved around to sit on the coffee table across from her. “Babe, please, just listen to us first. If you want to be mad afterwards, then you can and I’ll take the blame for it. I could have told you about this at any time and I didn’t.”

Ona ground her teeth, her eyes still dark and angry. “Fine.”

Jamie was watching them, her brow furrowed. She was just as surprised and confused by this information as Ona was. Leo took a deep breath before speaking. “When Kaz found you all those years ago, you were obviously traumatized. You were mute and frightened easily. And after Dr. Lanius wiped your mind and you came to live with us, we tried to find out who you were. At first, we had a hard time.” He gently took her hand, turning it over to show her fingertips. His voice dropped slightly as he ran a large finger over one of her small ones. “You’d burnt off your fingerprints.”

Ona stared at her hand. She’d never really noticed that the tips of her fingers were so smooth. She bit her lip and looked back up at Leo tentatively.

“So, Don did a facial recognition search for you. He only came up with one thing. It was an article describing the abuse your step-father had put you through.” Leo’s face hardened. “What that man did to you…no one should have to remember that.”

“Especially not you.” Kaz said softly, reaching out to put a hand on her arm. “You’ve always been so happy, so full of life. I didn’t want to darken your heart with the memory of that monster.”

Ona shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. It’s still my life – my decision.” She jabbed a finger into her chest. “You had no right to hide this from me.” Her jaw worked for a moment. “I want to see this article.”

Leo exchanged a worried look with Kaz. The younger turtle frowned. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.” The article had been filled with gruesome details.

She glared. “I want to see it!”

Kaz felt his skin prickle under her intense gaze. “Okay, I don’t think we have the paper copy anymore. I think it was destroyed with the lair. But maybe, I can pull it up on my phone.”

He’d just pulled his phone out, when the door to the dojo came flying open and Mira came into the room. She looked frantic, her gaze jumping from Ona to the stairwell and back. Ona was angry and upset; but Mira could sense her parents, Kala, and Mikey were more than upset. K-three came through the door mere steps behind her, catching her arm as she started for the stairs. “Mira, wait! Just wait! They’re going to tell us what’s going on or there wouldn’t be a meeting!”

“Let go, Kane!” She tried to tug her arm free, but he held on. She opened her mouth to protest, when the others started filing into the room. First Raph, Cat, and Shinta. Then Yoshi and Star. Finally, Sarah, Donnie, Mikey, and Kala appeared - their faces wrought with emotion.

Leo stood up and Kaz took his place beside Ona. He leaned close to whisper in her ear. “I’ll pull it up for you after the meeting.” He gently brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear and she pulled away from him, averting her eyes. She was angry – very angry. She felt betrayed and lied to and maybe even taken for a fool. What right had they had to do this to her, to keep her from knowing her past? All her thoughts were quieted though as Donatello started to speak.

“Tomorrow Mikey, Kala, Sarah and I will be going to Dimension X to Neutrino. We may be gone for some time, days maybe weeks. We’ll try to keep in contact on a regular basis. Leo, we’ll schedule a set time for us to contact you on the interdimensional communicator.”

“Wait! Wait! Wait!” Raph waved his hands. “Back up. Why are you goin’ to Dimension X? That’s a warzone, ain’t it?”

“We don’t have a choice.” Sarah responded softly and Donnie squeezed her hand.

“What do you mean, you don’t have a choice?” Leo was watching them all closely and knew that something had happened. And it most likely involved Kala, judging by the way Mikey was clutching her against him.

Don sighed, exchanging a quick look with Mikey. He wasn’t going to just blurt it out. This was a very personal matter. The youngest brother swallowed hard, before giving a slight nod. Don cleared his throat. “Kala is sick. In fact, she is very sick. She has a very severe case of pneumonia. It’s our hope that the doctors on Neutrino can help.”

There was a sharp gasp and Ona looked up at Kaz to see he’d gone pale. Slowly he stood. “Mom?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please donate to the Harvey relief. Every little bit helps. A hundred pennies adds up to one dollar and that will get one bottle of water. Thank you. T_T


	5. Dangerous Secrets

Kala pulled away from Mikey to step around the others. She cupped her son’s face. “It’ll be alright, honey. I’ll be fine.” She could feel it was a lie, but one she was willing to give him.

He watched her, his expression tight. “But Uncle Donnie just said-.”

“There was a lot of advanced technology on Neutrino when I left. I’m betting there is a lot more now. That’s why we have to go there.”

Mikey stepped up behind her with a sad expression and set a hand on Kaz’s shoulder. “We’ll fight this just like we always fight – as hard as we can and together.”

Yoshi didn’t realize he was trembling until Star stepped up beside him and slipped her hand in his. He looked down at her to find concern reflecting in her pale blue eyes. He swallowed. His gaze traveled back to Kaz, who looked like he might have a panic attack. Yoshi could imagine what his cousin was going through. He knew the helplessness that he’d felt when he’d seen his own mother in the hospital bed, and the shock and anger when he thought his father had died. Seeing the troubled look on Kaz’s face brought all those emotions back.

Leo stepped close to Mikey and put a hand on his shoulder. “We’re here to help any way we can.” He met Kala’s gaze with a gentle one of his own as he squeezed her arm warmly.

Mira had been leaning into K-three trying to drive away the storm of emotions from her family. She started to step away from him. “I need to check on Katsu.”

“He’s fine. He was sleeping when we came downstairs.” Sarah reassured her.

Mira frowned, mulling over what had been said. She knew her and Kane were about to be loaded down with new duties. She sighed, glancing up at her mate. “We should get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be a long day.”

“Wait.” Leo held up a hand stopping them. “There is one more thing we need to deal with.”

Shinta frowned. “What’s that?”

Leo looked from one brother to the next. “Ona and Kaz were spotted tonight by Ona’s step-father.”

“Damn it!” Raph muttered.

Cat’s brow furrowed. “What step-father?”

Sarah frowned, her gaze shifting to Donnie. He put up his hands, but couldn’t suppress the wave of shame that hit her. “I never said I didn’t find anything on her. All I said was that I didn’t find much. It wasn’t. It was one article that was all. Everything else must be in hard copy somewhere.”

“An omission is the same as a lie.” Sarah mumbled, looking away. Her words hurt less than the sting of betrayal that hit him in return.

Jamie frowned at Leo. “Well, at least I wasn’t the only one out of the loop.”

Kala looked up at her spouse. “Mikey, what is he talking about?”

Mikey opened and closed his mouth several times, then lifted his eyes to meet his son’s. Kaz was shaking, panic filling his blue depths. The younger turtle turned back to Ona, who was staring at her hands. She wasn’t sure what to feel at that moment. She was worried about Kaz, but felt hurt by him too. In fact, she felt hurt by the four brothers as well. They had lied to her.

“Everyone calm down!” Leo said as murmurs began around the room by all the women. “Let me explain our reason for not telling you. Especially you, Ona. In the article that Don mentioned it gave details of the abuse Ona suffered at the hands of her step-father.” He shook his head with a distraught expression. “What that man did was nothing short of horrific. And she was just a child.”

“I want to know where that bastard is, so I can kill ‘im!” Raph growled, gripping the handle of his sai so tight his knuckles turned white.

“Not that I’d stop you,” Leo said calmly, “but it’s probably not wise to go hunting him down. He could just leave town and that would be the end of it.” He turned back to Kaz, who’d sat down on the sofa beside Ona again and was squeezing her hands in his. “As for you two, don’t leave the lair until we’re certain he’s gone.”

Kaz gave a small nod, his chest too full of emotion to bother trying to speak. But Ona’s head came up. “I want to see the article.” She stated firmly.

Mikey’s eyes grew wide and he released Kala to kneel beside his daughter-in-law. “Trust me, squirt, you don’t want to see that. You don’t need that kind of stuff in your head.”

Ona’s jaw trembled. “Yes, I do! It’s my life! I have a right to see it! None of you had a right to keep it from me!” Her gaze sharpened on Kaz and she pulled her hands away. “None of you!”

Mikey frowned, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t be mad at Kaz. He was only trying to protect you. We all were.”

“Was it that bad?” Kala asked softly.

He looked up at her with a mixture of pain and anger. “In some ways, worse than what Kassic did to you.”

A small gasp left Kala, her hand coming up to cover her mouth as tears pooled in her eyes. Several feet away, Don felt the shock wave of horror pass through Sarah at the new information. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, but her expression hadn’t changed.

“I still want to see it.” Ona demanded quietly.

Sighing, Don pulled up the article on his phone. Yoshi saw the title over his uncle’s shoulder - _Man Arrested After Assault on Twelve-Year-Old Girl_ \- and his grip tightened on Star’s hand. She had only been twelve! A part of him wanted to read the article himself, but another part knew it had to be bad the way his father and uncles were reacting. Donnie moved around the couch and the others moved aside as he handed his phone to Ona. The room was deathly quiet as she slowly scrolled through the article, reading every single stomach turning word. She began to shake the closer she got to the end. At last, she dropped the phone in her lap and began to sob. Leo motioned for everyone to leave so they could have some privacy.

Don picked up his phone, but Kala yanked it from his hand. “Kala, don’t!” Mikey pleaded. But she’d already seen enough.

“Oh, god!” She sat on the other side of Ona and pulled her into a tight embrace. “Oh, sweetheart. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” She rocked the girl back and forth, tears streaming her pale cheeks. Her breaths were harsh and heavy.

Don frowned, afraid she might cause herself more harm. “Mikey…”

However, Sarah was already moving around the couch and tugging at Kala’s arm. “Come on, Kala, we have to go pack for tomorrow.” She couldn’t let Kala get so worked up, plus she could tell that Kaz wanted desperately to hold his wife.

Kala began to cough and Ona sat up, staring at her with wide watery eyes. “Mom?” She whispered softly as Sarah and Mikey pulled the Neutrino to her feet. Kaz frowned, not at the endearment she’d been calling his mother for years now, but the pain in her voice. He’d forgotten that his mother was the only mother Ona could remember having. He wanted to reach for her, but waited until the others had left the room.

When they were alone he tried to take her hand. She jerked it back. “Don’t touch me!”

Pain shot across his features. “Babe, please…”

“How could you…” Her voice broke and she stood, not daring to meet his eyes. “How could you even look at me after what he did to me?”

Kaz was on his feet, his hands around her shoulders. “What!”

“I’m damaged, Kaz! How could you want me, knowing what he did!”

“Of course, I want you! I’ve wanted you every day for the past five years! You are my wife, my reason for living, my reason for breathing!” She stared up at him with dark uncertain eyes. How could he convince her? “Ona-.”

“Malani.” She said flatly.

Kaz’s expression turned hard. “No! You are Ona! You have always been Ona to me! Even when you were living on the streets mute from your trauma, begging for money and food.” His gaze softened. “I still wanted you then.” He cupped her face. “You were beautiful and kind and genuine. And,” he said softly, “you weren’t scared of me. And when Lanius took your memories, I was terrified that you would be frightened of me, but you weren’t. You accepted me for what I am.” There was awe in his blue eyes and Ona could feel the panic that had gripped her a moment earlier wash away. She stared at him for a long moment, until tears began to pool in his eyes.

Then she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Kaz…”

He trembled, dropping his head to her shoulder. “I love you, babe, and I don’t know what I’d do without you.” His voice choked and he let out a small sob. “I need you right now. I need you so bad.”

Her arms tightened around him. Although her own mind and heart was in turmoil, she knew his was worse. His mother was very sick and by the way the others were acting possibly dying. “I know.”

Her fingers caressed the back of his head and he shuddered. “I can’t do this without you. Please stay with me.” His voice was an almost inaudible whisper.

“Always.” She kissed his cheek. “Always.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

Sarah and Mikey eased Kala down on the side of the bed. “Take slow deep breaths, Kala.” Don advised her gently.

After several moments, she was able to catch her breath. She turned her gaze on Mikey. “How could you not tell me what happened to her! After what Kassic put me through! You should have told me!”

Hurt rolled across his features. “Babe, I’m sorry. But I couldn’t. I could barely stomach it and it nearly destroyed Kaz when he read it. If Ona had found out…” Mikey bit his lip, not sure how to say what he wanted.

“It was something we all decided.” Don glanced at Sarah, feeling the prickle of betrayal again. “We all thought it was for the best. The fewer of us that knew, the less likelihood someone would say something to her.” He sighed, dragging a hand down his face. “Maybe we should have said something before now. But we were all hoping it would never come to that. I mean the guy was in Hawaii, the chances of him showing up here and finding her were so slim.”

“It doesn’t matter. We should have been told.” Sarah didn’t look at him. “What if Ona had been out with one of us? What if none of you were around and that man approached us? We would never have known and he could have hurt Ona or one of us.”

Don’s jaw hung open as she lifted her brown eyes to his. What had they done! What had _he_ done! He shook his head, taking a step back. “No…” He was vaguely aware of his mate approaching him.

His panic blazed through her as his understanding dawned. The guys had unknowingly put them in danger. She cupped his face, forcing him to look at her. There was sheer unadulterated terror in his eyes as they darted around in a frenzied state. “Look at me. We’re okay. We’re safe.” Pushing down her own hurt, she pressed love and forgiveness towards him through the bond.

Finally, he seemed to truly focus on her. “Oh, Sarah, I’m sorry.” He wrapped her in strong arms, pressing her tight against his chest. “If anything had happened to you…”

It had taken Mikey a little longer to realize what Sarah had said. When he did, he turned pale, dropping to his knees and wrapping his arms around Kala’s waist, half burying his face against her chest. “Oh, babe, I’m sorry! I swear I’ll never keep anything from you ever again!”

Kala felt the anger in her fade and she slipped her arms around him. “It’s okay. But you see why you can’t keep secrets from us?” He leaned back nodding and she pressed a hand to his cheek. “We’re partners. We need to make decisions together.” He gave another mute nod. She sighed, wrapping her arms around his neck again.

Sarah slowly stepped back from Don. “Do you need me to help you pack?”

Kala lifted her head and shook it. Before she could say anything, Mikey was getting to his feet. “I’ll do it.” He went to the closet and began rummaging for a suitcase.

Don looked down at Sarah. “We need to be packing too. I don’t know how long this trip may last.”

“Do you need me to help you pick out suitable clothes?” Kala asked.

At that Sarah actually laughed. “Kala, you have seen my closet, right? All I have are jeans and t-shirts and a few sweaters.”

Kala chuckled. “That sounds perfect.”

Sarah just shook her head in amusement as they left the room.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

A few doors down, Cat paced back and forth across her and Raph’s bedroom. He stood watching her from just inside the door. He could tell she was about to pop, the vein above her left eye was bobbing up and down.

“Look, I wanted to tell you. But you know how Leo gets. He said it was for the best. He didn’t think Ona should know, and at the time I had to agree. That bastard treated her worse than an animal. He kept her tied up and gaged in a closet for close to a year! And he did stuff to her.” His fists balled at his side, the anger returning with a vengeance. “She was a baby! She was his to protect and he did that!” His voice broke and Cat turned to look at him.

Her shoulders slumped and she took the few steps between them to take one of his large hands in hers. “I understand none of you wanted her to remember that stuff. But Kala, Sarah, Jamie and I, we should have been told. How can we protect Ona, if we don’t know what we’re supposed to be protecting her from? Ona has gone out with us a lot of times without any of you. How would we have known the guy was bad news, if we were never told?”

Raph stared at her for a moment as his guts began to twist and churn. If that bastard had laid his hands on Cat… “Stupid!” He pounded the heel of his hand against his temple. “We’re so stupid!”

Cat frowned. She hadn’t expected him to do that. She’d expected him to say she was right and then apologize. This made her worry. “Raph?” She reached up to catch his hand.

He suddenly pulled her against him, burying his face in her neck. “What was I thinkin’! I’ve nearly lost you twice! I should’ve told you!” He clutched her a little tighter. “I’m sorry.” He shuddered, digging his large fingers into her short blonde and gray locks. “I can’t go through that again. Don’t worry, I’ll never keep nothin’ from you ever again.”

Cat frowned. As usual, she hadn’t been thinking of herself, only Ona. But Raph’s words made her remember the night after Kala had arrived and that evil Neutrino Kassic. She remembered the pain and heartache she’d put Raph through. She had never regretted her own actions, but she had regretted seeing him so broken and lost. And now she had Yoshi to consider. What would happen to her boys if something happened to her?

She swallowed hard, not wanting to think of such things and knowing exactly that scenario was going through Kala’s mind at that very moment. It was a possible future that Mikey and Kaz might actually face. She trembled, her arms tightening around her love. Right now, all she could do was cling to him. Here within the circle of his arms was the safest place in the world. And so she allowed him to shelter her from the turbulent emotions the night had brought.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Jamie paced to the window and back.

Leo shook his head. “I couldn’t.”

“Yes, you could.”

He shook his head again. “I made the guys promise not say anything. So, neither could I.”

Jamie paced back to the window. “This is not something you should have kept from me. And you certainly shouldn’t have kept if from Ona.”

Leo frowned. “So she could suffer with that knowledge for the past five years?”

It was Jamie’s turn to shake her head. “No, so she could have protected herself for the past five years. So we could have protected her, when we were out with her. I know it’s pretty rare we go out without you guys these days, but-“

“You could have been with her when he spotted her.” Leo felt guilt wash over him like a tidal wave, followed quickly by fear.

“Yes, and we would have never known it.” She paused to look at him and saw that he had finally gotten it. It wasn’t often that she had to point something like that out to him – in fact, she couldn’t remember ever doing it - and she could tell it wasn’t sitting well with him. He’d turned a funny shade of yellow-green. She sighed, pushing her glasses up her short nose and stepping up to him. He looked down at her with guilt-ridden eyes and she cupped his cheek. “This time nothing happened. But next time, how about asking me, if you’re not sure? Get my opinion on it.” She smiled softly. “We are a team after all.”

He sighed, covering her hand with his. “You’re right. It was wrong and dangerous not tell you all. I was only trying to spare Ona the pain of her past.”

“Ona’s a lot stronger than you give her credit for.” She leaned up and pecked his lips. “Besides, the women in this family are pretty good at keeping secrets.”

At that he chuckled. “Yeah, I guess you would have to be to live in a house full of mutant turtles and not tell a soul.”


	6. Uncertain Plans

Shinta frowned. He could hear his father and step-mother arguing across the hall from his room. Their arguments weren’t usually loud like Raph and Cat’s, but they made him uncomfortable. He set aside the book he’d been trying to read and stepped into the hall. He needed something to keep him occupied and not in his room. He didn’t feel like going back downstairs either, not in the mood to watch Yoshi and Star make out again if they happened to be down there. Glancing down the hall at the room April now occupied, he realized the TV was on in there. He moved down the hall and knocked. “Aunt April, are you awake?”

“You can come in, honey.”

He entered, finding her sitting on the side of the bed. She smiled and gestured for him to come over. He sat next to her on the bed. “How are feeling?”

She patted his hand. “Oh, I’ll be okay. I’m just not used to being cooped up like this. It’ll take some getting used to.”

He smiled reassuringly. “Mira, K-three and I are going to put in an elevator, so you don’t have to climb the stairs. That way when you’re all healed up, you can go anywhere you want.” His expression fell slightly. “But I don’t know if it’ll get done very soon.”

“Why not? Does it have something to do with the family meeting you had earlier?”

Shinta gave a small sad nod. “Yeah, things are going to be a little crazy around here for a while.”

April chuckled. “When is it not crazy around here?”

He grinned. “You have a point.”

“So, what’s going on, anyways? I feel like I’m out of the loop, stuck up here by myself.”

He looked down at his hands. “Well, Aunt Kala is sick. She’s real sick by the way Uncle Donnie talked. They’re going to take her to Neutrino in the morning.”

April’s eyes widened. Her heart ached for Mikey, Kala, and Kaz, and the rest of the family. It was always hard knowing one of them was sick. “That’s terrible.”

“Then dad said something about Ona having a step-father and that he was in town. Apparently, he’s a really bad guy.” He shook his head. “I don’t know what he did, but it sure made everyone angry.” He sighed. “That’s what he and Jamie are arguing about right now.”

“Oh.” April slipped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him close and kissing the top of his head. She understood. Shinta was a lot like Amaya in that he was very sensitive to those around him. She rubbed his arms in a soothing motion she’d learned long ago when dealing with the children. “Hey, do you think you could do me a favor?”

Shinta brightened, eager to be useful. “Sure!”

“Could you take my dinner plate back downstairs and if you spot some of Sarah’s chocolate chip cookies, could you grab a few?” She winked conspiratorially. “We could share.”

Shinta let out a hearty laugh. “Will do. I’ll be right back.” He gathered her plate from the bedside and headed off for the kitchen.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

Mira sat on the bedside, her mind full to the brim. K-three paced across the floor. She knew he was frustrated. “Leo shouldn’t have kept something like that a secret! It put everyone in danger!”

“My father kept it a secret too.” Mira said softly. “Even from my mother.” She’d felt her mother’s shock at finding out about Ona’s step-father. But the fact that they’d been lied to bothered her less than the other things that were happening. “I feel so bad for Kaz. I hope Kala will be alright. Ona seemed pretty upset too. I hope they’ll be okay.”

“Well, she has a right to be mad at him! If he’s known about this guy all this time, he should have said something – at least to her!” K-three ground his teeth and dragged both hands down his face. It wasn’t like him to get this worked up about something. But he hated being lied to! And he hated the fact that Kaz, who was basically his second in command, was being torn in so many directions. Looking down at his petite mate, he sighed. He could feel her turmoil and the hurt from being lied to as well. But most of all, he could feel her intense worry. “What is it?”

Slowly she lifted her head and her dark brown eyes were filled with the same apprehension. “Kane, my aunt is probably dying and my parents want to go to a warzone in another dimension to try to save her. Which if that wasn’t enough to worry about, it leaves me to deal with Aunt April’s therapy and meds. Plus, we still have to install the elevator. And let’s not forget we still have a toddler to take care of.”

K-three frowned as he settled on the bed beside her. “Calm down, my flower. I’m here to help you. We will all help you. You know that.”

She sighed. “I know. I guess I’m just nervous about Aunt Kala, Uncle Mikey and my parents going off on their own.”

“I’m sure they’ll be fine.” He squeezed her hand. “Doesn’t Kala have friends there?”

Mira nodded. “I don’t think I’ve ever met them, but Aunt Kala talks about them sometimes.”

“See? They’ll have someone to help them out once they are there. And it’s probably for the best that Kala’s own people look after her.”

She nodded. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Though that fact did little to settle her nerves.

He smirked. “Of course, I am. Now come on, let’s get some sleep. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a trying day.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

Yoshi stood on the roof, looking out over the dark city. His mind was a jumble of information. Kala was sick. Ona had a past. Kaz had known about it and never told her. Worst, he’d never told him.

And then there was Star. She had told him she wanted him, but he wasn’t sure if it was the way he wanted her to want him. Was it simple lust, or did she want all of him – the good and the bad? He could feel her now, standing a few feet behind him, watching and waiting. When he’d left the meeting, he’d come straight here and she had quietly followed behind him. He sighed inwardly, remembering the look she’d given him in the living room earlier and the way she’d held his hand. He knew she cared for him, but was it enough to keep them together? Was it enough that she could tolerate his temper? Was it enough that she could handle their lifestyle? And did he have a right to ask those things of her?

There was the soft sound of her booted feet as she approached him. “Yoshi… I’m sorry. I understand how you must feel.”

He didn’t look at her, even as she touched his arm lightly. “How could you understand? My mother nearly died two years ago, and now I have to watch my cousin go through the same thing. My father and his brothers have been lying to us – all of us. Lies are dangerous.” He clenched his eyes shut. “I learned that the hard way.”

Star could see the level of pain that crossed his face and she sighed wanting nothing more than to take it away. “Okay, so maybe I’ve never had a big family and I don’t know how all this works yet. I’m still learning what it’s like to have so many people to care about. But what I do know is that I care about you.” She stepped around in front of him, her expression sad. “And I care that you’re hurting.”

She reached out for him again, but he stepped out of her reach. “Star…I…” He shook his head at a loss for words. Growling, he turned and sprinted across the roof, leaping to an adjoining building and just kept running. He ran hoping to forget the confusion inside him and the pain from the old wound that had been ripped open. He ran until his legs ached and his lungs burned. At last, he stopped on a rooftop. He panted, allowing the physical discomfort to wash away the emotional.

Action. That’s what he was built for and it was the only thing that had ever been able to clear his head. And right now, he needed some badly. As luck would have it, a group of purple dragons were trying to break into a jewelry store.

With a huff, he leapt down into the midst of them. “It’s a little late for shoppin’, ain’t it?”

“It’s one of those freaks!” One pointed a crowbar at him.

Yoshi snorted. “I ain’t the one with neon pink hair, punk.”

“Get ‘im!” Another shouted and the group converged on him.

At first count, Yoshi had only seen six but more men seemed to come from thin air. Now, he was surrounded by at least ten. He smirked. It had been a while since he’d been able to really take out his frustrations on someone. _This is gonna be fun!_

Ten minutes later, he climbed the fire escape to half collapse on the roof. The street below was littered with unconscious bleeding bodies and sirens wailed in the distance. He laid there listening as they got closer, trying to catch his breath. His body was covered in shallow cuts and scrapes, and one particularly large bruise on his shoulder where he’d been tagged with a pipe. But he felt better than he had in days. The adrenaline slowly drained from his system as he watched the sky begin to lighten with the coming sunrise.

He knew he’d better be getting home soon. He didn’t have a holo with him and they’d start looking for him too. Climbing to his feet, he dusted the gravel off his hands and began to sprint home. As he landed on the roof, he spotted the small form leaning against the wall beside the access door. Yoshi pressed his thumb to the security panel beside the door to prevent the alarm from sounding before squatting down in front of Star and pushing her long bangs from her face. He felt his heart twist with guilt. “Star?”

She opened her eyes and nearly threw herself at him. “Yoshi!” The force was enough to knock him off balance and he landed on his bottom. She clutched at him, barely seeming to register the small fall. “When you took off, I didn’t know what to do! I was so scared something had happened to you!”

His arms came up to pull her closer still. “I didn’t mean to worry you. I just…” He sighed heavily. “I just needed to blow off some steam.”

She sat back to frown at him and grab his mask tails. “Yeah, well, don’t do that again!” She swatted him lightly on the arm and blinked when her hand came back sticky. She looked down and gasped. “What happened to you!”

He gave her a small reassuring smile. “I’m fine, they’re just some small scrapes. I got in a little tussle with some purple dragons.” He smirked, trying to make light of the situation. “If you think I look bad, you should see how I left them.”

Star’s frown only seemed to deepen and her bottom lip started to tremble. “You can’t do that, Yoshi! You can’t take off like that!” Tears began to trickle down her cheeks and it was like all the air was sucked out of his lungs. “If I lost you, I’d be all alone again! I don’t know what I’d do!”

“No, no! Don’t do that! Don’t cry over me!” He grabbed her, pulling her against him. “I’m sorry. It was stupid! Okay?” He sighed as she took several deep calming breaths. “I can’t promise it won’t happen again. It’s just part of who I am. But I can promise to try not to take off without telling you.”

She gave a slow nod against his plastron. “Okay.” She couldn’t ask him to change, she knew that. His spirit was one of the things she loved so much about him.

He pushed her back to look at her again. “Did you stay out here all night waiting for me?” Averting her eyes, she gave a small nod. Yoshi realized in that moment he’d been wrong for doubting her intentions, been wrong for doubting her true feelings for him. “Marry me.”

Her head shot up and she blinked several times to make certain she was awake. “Wh…”

“Marry me.” He rested his forehead against hers. “I want you beside me. I _need_ you beside me. You make me stronger and smarter. But most of all, you make me want to be a better me. I love you, Star.”

Her breath danced across his skin, warm and soft. “I love you too, big guy. Yes, I’ll marry you.”

“Are you sure? Do you really think you can handle me forever?”

Her chuckle was soft, choked with new tears. “Yeah, of course I can. The question is, can you handle me?”

“I’d like to try.” He dipped his head, capturing her mouth in a crushing kiss that took her breath away. The world stood still for a moment, the sun casting them in a shade of orange-red, the wind whipping around them, the distant sounds of people and traffic floated by. It all fell away. There was only Star and there was only him. In those moments, wrapped in her warm slender arms, there were no other worries – no sick aunts or distraught cousins, no painful memories, no threat of enemies past or present. Only their two hearts beating in rhythm with one another.

When he at last released her, she snuggled in against him. “I’ll always be here waiting for you, Yoshi.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

Don adjusted the duffel bag on his shoulder, so it lay a little flatter across Sarah’s pack on his back. He was lucky his wife was a light packer. She’d only opted for three changes of clothes and an extra sweater in case the weather turned cold. His duffel was slightly heavier, containing the trans-dimensional communicator and his own medical supplies. He wasn’t sure what they’d have available on Neutrino. It also held his research and what he’d learned about Neutrino body chemistry over the years. He knew they metabolized medication at a faster rate than humans did. In fact, Kala seemed to process everything faster. Which explained her continued slim form despite her age.

Nearby, Kala sat on the edge of the cot and watched Mikey dig through their bag again. He looked up at her. “Are you sure we got everything you might need?”

“Yes, Mikey. I’m sure.” She replied in as tolerant a tone as she could manage. He’d asked her that at least ten times this morning. She knew it was only his nerves. He was feeling helpless and insecure. If it was a physical battle, he’d know exactly what to do and would charge in with his confident grin and nunchakus twirling. But this wasn’t that kind of fight. He didn’t have a physical opponent. He was having to rely on people he’d never met to help her. Yes, he had his brother, but even Don seemed to be a bit out of his element here.

Mikey fiddled with the zipper and Kala covered his hand with hers, and for the first time he realized his were shaking. He took her slender hand and raised it to his mouth, kissing the knuckle of each delicate thin finger.

Footsteps behind them alerted them to Kaz and Ona stepping into the lab. The younger turtle looked haggard with dark rings around his eyes and face drawn tight. He’d tried to talk them into letting him go, but everyone had refused. His father had said he’d feel better if Kaz was here safe and that the rest of the family would need him while they were gone. Don, Raph, and Leo had outright said no, all for different reasons. Kala stepped away from Mikey to wrap her arms around her son. Kaz nearly sagged against her, burying his face in her neck. “Mom, you’ll be okay, right?” His words were soft and uncertain buried against her neck.

“Yes.” She promised the lie she had no idea if she could keep once more.

Ona moved past them to hug Mikey. “Please be careful.”

“We will.”

“We love you.”

He kissed her brow. “We love you too.”

Even as the lab began to fill with the family, saying their goodbyes, Kaz clung to Kala like he had when he was small. He was scared. And the truth was he had a lot be afraid of right now – Kala, Ona, Dimension X, sickness, death, and Ona’s stepfather. His future held dark rain clouds on the horizon and he shuddered at them. Kala squeezed his hand when she felt him tremble.

Don turned away from setting the portal and flipping the switch, making the doorway glow. “We’ll call you tonight about eight.” He told Leo, who nodded in agreement.

“Alright, you guys be careful. It’s been a long time since we went to Dimension X and we could still have enemies there.” Leo patted Mikey’s shoulder. “You just focus on getting Kala better, we’ll deal with Ona’s stepfather if the need arises.”

Mikey gave a small nod, stepping over to his son. “Kaz…”

Kaz shook his head. “I know, you wouldn’t go right now unless you thought it was absolutely necessary.” He gave his father a weak smile. “We’ll be okay.”

Mikey pulled Kaz into a fatherly embrace. “Take care of her, son. You never know what tomorrow might bring.” He said it low in Kaz’s ear and felt him nod against his shoulder. Then Mikey stepped away taking Kala’s hand and moving towards the open portal.

Sarah handed Katsu back to Mira and kissed her on the cheek. “Try not worry. We’ll come back as soon as we can.” Patting K-three on the cheek, she stepped back to Donnie, who took her hand. The two couples disappeared into the portal and Leo flipped the switch, closing the doorway behind them.


	7. Trivial

Leo took a deep breath, feeling his family’s eyes on him. He hated letting two of his brothers go off into Dimension X without him. His only solace was they were going to Neutrino, which had been for years their ally against Krang and Shredder.

Finally, he turned to the others, reverting to his stoic mask so no one would know the trepidation he felt. “We’re going to have rearrange some duties. Mira, you’ll have to take over most of Donnie’s chores. K-three, Cat and I will work on the elevator. Ona, do you think you can handle meals and laundry?” Ona gave a nod, though Kaz looked somewhat unhappy with her being removed from his sight.

“What about Katsu’s lessons?” Mira asked.

“I can watch Katsu.” Jamie moved up beside Mira and tickled the child’s chin.

Leo frowned. “What about the music shop?”

Jamie shook her head. “I’ll just close up for a few days.”

“We don’t know how long they’re going to be gone.” Kaz’s words were tight. He’d said what they were all thinking though and it drew silence from the room.

“Why don’t I keep an eye on Katsu and do his lessons with him?” Star and Yoshi had been the last to arrive and now she moved forward to stand beside K-three. “I want to help and that way you don’t have to disrupt your music lessons, if…if it takes a while before they come home.”

Leo frowned, glancing around the room and judging his family’s reaction. Star was still somewhat new to the workings of their household. She’d only been with them a year. But he couldn’t deny she’d earned his trust many times in that year. “Okay, Star will take care of Katsu and his lessons.”

“That’s gonna leave us a bit short handed at the garage.” Raph leaned on the wall. He hadn’t meant it to be negative, more of a fact. He’d just lost five of his workers in one fell swoop. That meant there would only be him, Kaz and Yoshi to work the full line and that wasn’t going to be an easy task.

“You’ll just have to take some holos with you over there. And Shinta can help.” Leo glanced at his son. “You need to pitch in more out there anyways.” Shinta gave a small nod. Leo sighed. “Look, I know this is going to take some adjusting for all of us, but remember we are doing this for Kala.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

It felt odd as Kala stepped from the lair into the open air of Neutrino. It had been a long time since she’d set foot under the strange orange-pink sky. She’d been on Earth most of her life and had gotten used to the bright blue sky. The dry wind brushed her cheek, bringing with it childhood memories of playing in the brown dirt.

Mikey’s hand squeezed hers, bringing her back to the present. He looked down at her with his deep blue eyes and a tiny smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. “Welcome home, babe.”

She shook her head. “This hasn’t been my home for a long time. My home is where ever you are.” She slipped her arms around his waist and he kissed her brow. The sound of an engine drew their attention to the hovercar that came to a stop in front of them. Kala grinned. She’d recognize Dask and Zak no matter how old they were. “Dask! Zak!” She hurried forward as the two men stepped out of the vehicle.

Dask was the first to reach her. “Kala!” He hugged her. “Man, it has been a long _long_ time.”

“What are you doing here!” She flung her arms around Zak as he approached.

He chuckled. “We got your message.”

“Message?” She glanced over her shoulder at Donnie.

He nodded. “I thought it would be best if we had some help. It has been a long time since you were here, Kala.”

She nodded, understanding his meaning. A lot of thing could change in thirty years. She looked back up at her old friends. “So, you know, huh?”

“Not everything, but enough.” Dask smiled sadly at her. “I’ve scheduled you an appointment with a very good doctor I know. He’s waiting at the hospital.”

Zak reached out and shook Mikey’s hand as he came closer. “It’s good to see you guys as well.” He smiled at Don and Sarah. “I wish we could be visiting under better circumstances. I’m sorry we haven’t gotten a chance to visit Earth in a while.”

“You’re not the only one to blame.” Don returned the small smile. “We have to take some of that too. Time kind of gets away from you sometimes.”

Dask moved to open the car door. “Yes, and we shouldn’t let it get away from us now. Let me take you all over to the hospital, then Zak and I have to get back to our unit.”

Mikey climbed into the back seat and Kala sat on his lap as Sarah did the same with Donnie. The hovercar flew along the mostly empty streets. To Kala things hadn’t seemed to change all that much. There were new buildings, but there were still the destroyed ones scattered every several blocks, no doubt the result of some recent battle. The large hospital they stopped in front of was new as well.

Dask and Zak helped them out of the car. “We live in the barracks, so we don’t have any place to offer you to stay. But there are some pretty good hotels a couple of blocks that way.” Zak gestured west of the hospital.

Dask handed Donnie a slip of paper. “The doctors name is Ziffry. He’s on the third floor. If you need us, you can reach us at this number. Just leave a message and we’ll get back to you. Okay?”

Don folded the paper, slipping it into the pouch on his belt. “Thanks for your help.”

Zak hugged Kala again with a smile. “Maybe we can get together tonight for dinner.”

Kala hugged him back. “Yeah, we’ll let you know where we are.”

They waved as the two Neutrinos flew away. Sarah slipped an arm around Kala’s shoulders as they turned and entered the hospital. The foyer was minimalistic and utilitarian. A round reception desk stood at the center of room. Donnie led the way as they approached a young Neutrino girl behind the desk. She didn’t look up at first, hitting some keys on her computer. “May I help you?”

“Yes, we have an appointment with Dr. Ziffry.” Don informed her.

“Name?” She looked up and gasped. “What are you doing here?” She looked around franticly.

Both Don and Mikey frowned, concerned by her sudden odd behavior. Kala moved forward. “My friend made the appointment. I don’t know for sure what name he put it under.”

The young woman seemed to relax a little. “The appointment is for you?”

“Yes. My name is Kala Hamato, but he might have made it under Kala Nubair.” Kala watched the woman for a long moment, before she slowly turned and typed on the computer again.

“Uh, yes, I do show an appointment for you. His office is on the third floor.” The woman looked at the two turtles. “But they can’t go with you.”

Kala glared. “What!”

“This is a Neutrino hospital, ma’am. They’re mutants.”

“They are my family!” Kala snapped, causing her to begin to cough.

Mikey stepped forward, taking hold of her. “Babe!”

“Sarah…” Don murmured softly feeling anger build in her.

Sarah glared at the woman as Kala tried to catch her breath. “I don’t care what your rules are! She needs help!”

The woman frowned glancing around again, her gaze falling back on Kala. She seemed to take pity on them as she watched Mikey supporting Kala’s trembling form. “Okay, okay. It’s against protocol, but you can take her on up. Just try to keep a low profile. I don’t want to be thrown in the brig.”

Sarah continued to glare, but Don took her arm and gestured for Mikey to follow him. He frowned, half carrying Kala as they made their way to the elevator. Once inside, Kala sagged against Mikey. “How dare she talk to you like that!”

“It’s okay.” Mikey stroked her back, trying to soothe her.

Don could tell, Sarah had felt the same indignation at the comment. She had her arms crossed and her jaw set. He could also feel her struggling to control her anger. He was glad the receptionist had let them by when she had, otherwise Sarah might have caused a scene. He knew the anger was for him and Mikey, just as Kala’s had been. He put an arm around her shoulders as the doors opened and they made their way down the hall to yet another reception desk.

This woman, although shocked by their appearance, was a bit more tolerant of their presence. “Do you have an appointment?”

“Yes, for my wife.” Mikey answered, still holding Kala close.

The woman raised a brow, but continued to be kind. “Her name?”

“Kala.” Mikey still wasn’t sure what last name they had.

The woman glanced down at a schedule. “Yes, I have her. It won’t be but a few moments. Please take a seat.”

They did as she suggested and a few moments later a nurse arrived. “If you will come with me.” When Mikey started to stand, the woman frowned. “Just her.”

It was Mikey’s turn to glare. “No way!”

Kala paled even more, if that was possible. “Please.” She clutched Mikey’s hand. “He’s my husband. They’re my family.”

“Yes, and as Kala’s surrogate physician, I really must insist on speaking with the doctor.” Don told the nurse.

The woman frowned, but gave a slow nod. “Follow me.”

The group followed her into a small room where a cot had been placed in the middle. Mikey helped Kala onto it as the nurse pulled out a scanner. She took Kala’s left hand and ran the device over it. She frowned at it and tried again. This time she shook the scanner like that would bring the results she wanted.

“What’s the matter?” Mikey asked after a moment.

“I can’t get this thing to read your chip.” She shook it again.

Kala frowned. “What chip? I don’t have any kind of chip.”

At this the nurse looked up at her and eyed her. “How old are you Miss Nubair?”

“I’m fifty-six. And it’s Hamato. Nubair was my maiden name.”

Her answer seemed to surprise the nurse, who blinked then smiled. “Ah, you are too old to have received the chip.” She said as if this answered everything. “Please, lie back so I may take your vitals.” Kala did as she was asked and a screen at the head of the bed populated with numbers and symbols.

Although they weren’t in English, Don understood what most of it represented – blood pressure, temperature, weight, pulse rate, and several others. He knew what the norm was for Kala, but he wondered if that was also the standard for most Neutrinos. He didn’t have time to ponder this as the doctor appeared. He greeted them cordially and began an examination. The bed was also able to perform other functions as he was able to pull an image of Kala’s lungs up. As he and Donatello began comparing notes, the nurse left the room. The more information the doctor gathered the deeper he seemed to frown.

A few minutes later, the nurse stepped into the doorway. “Dr. Ziffry, may I have a word with you?”

Ziffry patted Kala’s arm. “I’ll be right back.” He stepped into the hall closing the door.

Donnie frowned, moving close to hear what was being said beyond the door.

“There is no record of her service.”

“Really, none at all? That’s unusual.”

“I checked both the old system and the new.” The nurse paused for a long moment. “You know what this means, sir?”

The doctor sounded distressed. “Yes, I know. I can’t treat her.”

Don couldn’t resist pushing open the door and glaring at the doctor and nurse. He quickly shut the door behind him before he spoke. “What do you mean you’re not going to treat her!”

The nurse glared back. “He doesn’t have to discuss this with you, mutant.”

Don was unfazed by the venom in her voice. “He was just discussing it with me in there.” He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder, before turning his gaze back on the doctor. “You saw how bad she is. How can you even think of turning her away?”

The doctor looked pained as he responded. “This is a military hospital. We don’t treat non-military individuals.”

Donnie growled. “My sister is in there dying and you stand here talking about rules!”

“Sir, if you do not calm down. I will call security. You’re not even supposed to be in here!” The nurse pointed an accusing finger at him.

“Ahmi, will you give us a moment.” The doctor waited until the angry nurse had stomped off before turning back to the equally angry turtle. “Listen, the truth is I’m not even sure we can help her. As I said this is a military facility. Which means we focus on wounds not illnesses. It also means, I cannot bend the rules, even in this severe of a case.”

Fury blazed its way through Don’s system. Kala was dying and Mikey was suffering, and this man who claimed to be a doctor refused to help them! It was inconceivable! “Aren’t you a doctor! Aren’t you supposed to help people!”

This time Ziffry’s eyes narrowed. “My oath is first to Neutrino, then to the individual!”

Don clenched and un-clenched his fists. “Fine!” He turned, flinging open the exam room door. Sarah took a step away from the entrance as he crossed the room. “We’re leaving.” He scooped a slightly startled Kala into his arms, turned on his heel and stomped back out past the doctor. Mikey grabbed their bags and hurried after him, just as stunned.

The doctor looked at them worriedly as they started for the exit. He hurried after them. “Wait!” He caught Sarah’s arm. She gave him a death-glare of her own, having heard most of the conversation he’d had with her mate. “Here.” He shoved a slip of paper into her hand. She frowned, pulling her arm away, before her already angry spouse could take the doctor’s head right off. As it was, Donnie had stopped in the doorway to glance over his shoulder at them.

Sarah hurried to catch up with Mikey and Don as they left the hospital. They were a good half a block away before Kala finally spoke up. “Donnie, what’s wrong? What just happened?” Being carried by her brother-in-law was a little odd, considering her own spouse was right behind him.

Donnie finally slowed his pace and looked down at her. He sighed. “Sorry. They were refusing to help you.” He lowered her to her feet and Mikey came to stand beside her.

“What? Why?” He frowned. “Was is because of us?”

“No, they said it was because Kala didn’t have a military record.” Donnie worked his jaw, trying not to let the anger overtake him again, but his words were still bitter when they came out. “They couldn’t waste the resources on her.”

Behind him Sarah unfolded the slip of paper and stared at the name. “I guess that’s why he gave us this.” She handed it to Don when he turned towards her. “It must be a doctor that can help.”

Kala sighed. “I should have expected as much. Neutrino has always been partial to the military.” She sighed. “Not surprising when you are born into a warzone.”

Mikey felt his own anger grow. “It still isn’t right to turn you away when you’re sick, because of a stupid reason like that.” Kala sagged against him. It was already afternoon now and she was becoming tired.

Sarah frowned at Kala’s appearance. “Let’s find a place to stay and get something to eat. Then we’ll see if we can find this other doctor.”


	8. The Kindness of Strangers

The first hotel they came to was small, but clean. As they started for the door, Kala caught Mikey’s arm. He looked down at her, frowning. “What is it?”

“My Neutrino may be a bit rusty, but I’m pretty sure that sign says ‘No Mutants Allowed’.” She looked up at him with big damp eyes. And he felt frustration begin to pool in his gut as he pulled her into a tight embrace.

Don and Sarah had stopped a few paces ahead of them. Don dragged a hand down his face. Things were not going nearly as well as he’d hoped. “I’m beginning to feel rather unwelcome here.”

“I don’t get it. We’ve been friends with the Neutrinos for years.” Mikey shook his head. “What do they have against mutants now?”

“We haven’t been here in decades, Mikey. Things have obviously changed.” Don was hurt by the idea as much as Mikey was, but it was evident that mutants were not welcome anymore.

“I don’t understand what’s happened?” Kala half buried her face in Mikey’s neck, seeking shelter from the world she thought she knew.

“Excuse me. But what are you doing here?”

The four turned to find an old woman, leaning heavily on a cane. Sarah glanced towards the hotel and frowned. “We were looking for a place to stay, but…”

The old woman frowned. “Oh, you won’t find a place in the capitol that will accept mutants as guests.”

“And why is that exactly? Mutants used to be welcome on Neutrino.” Don prompted.

“Not for a very long time.” The woman sighed, a distant look in her eye. “I suppose we have grown hard to them after Krang has taken so many of our people and experimented on them.”

“Krang.” Mikey half growled under his breath.

Kala stepped back to fully look at the woman. “Do you know of any place we might be able to stay?”

The woman blinked at her. “Aren’t you Kaz and Nala’s daughter? Kala, isn’t it?”

Kala frowned. It had been many years since she’d heard her mother’s name. “Yes. Do you know me?”

“Yes, but you were very small at the time. I doubt you’d recall me. But I used to babysit you.” The old woman smiled and Kala strained her mind to remember.

“Riza? Mrs. Riza?”

The woman’s face lit up. “You do remember me! That is amazing considering how long it must have been.”

Kala smiled. “You lived next door. I remember you used to give me cookies and let me play-.” She was cut off by a coughing fit.

Mrs. Riza took a step forward. “Is she alright?”

Mikey half cradled Kala, patting her on the back and whispering reassuring words in her ear. Donnie shook his head. “No, she’s not. She’s sick. That’s the reason we’re here. We went to the hospital, but they refused to help.”

Mrs. Riza gasped as Kala coughed up a clump of blood onto the ground. “That’s terrible!”

“We have friends and another doctor that might be able to help.” Sarah explained. “But right now, we’d just settle for somewhere to stay and a meal.”

“Yes, yes! Of course! Come with me!” Mrs. Riza turned and began to walk up the sidewalk.

Mikey exchanged a look with Don, before he gently lifted the now exhausted Kala into his arms. “It’ll be okay, babe.” He kissed the top of her head as she struggled to take deep breaths.

The group followed Riza to a small house. It was shaped to look like a large rock and was the same color as the surrounding terrain. It was an obvious attempt to camouflage the place in case of attack. “This is my home.” Mrs. Riza opened the door. “You are welcome to stay here as long as you need. I live alone these days. My children have long since joined the military.”

She turned to look at them as they stopped a few paces inside the front door. Kala, who’d finally recovered from her episode, had Mikey let her down. “Thank you, Mrs. Riza. I’d like you to meet my family though.” She smiled up at Mikey. “This is my husband, Michelangelo. And this his brother Donatello and his wife, Sarah.”

Riza smiled, though she could tell Kala still didn’t feel well. “You may call me Dyna. We are all adults here now.” She gestured up a set of stairs. “I only have one spare room, I’m afraid. I hope you don’t mind sharing.”

Donnie chuckled a little as they followed her up. “We don’t mind. We’re used to tight quarters.”

She opened the only door at the top of the stairs and stepped inside. It was a decent sized room that had two single sized beds in it. Donnie set his and Sarah’s bags near the foot of one bed, while Mikey did the same near the other. “Make yourselves at home and when you’re done, come down. I’ll make you some lunch.” With that she left them by themselves.

Kala sat heavily on the side of the small bed. She felt so drained these days. At home she could take breaks and rest when she needed to, but she had yet to be able to do that here. Her muscles ached and her chest hurt. She rubbed a hand idly across her ribs. The action did not go unnoticed by Mikey though. “I think you need to lie down for a while.” She frowned, but allowed him to lay her back on the soft pillow.

Don and Sarah exchanged a look and he unzipped his duffle, pulling out a small box-like device about the size of a large box of tissue. Hooked to one end was a mask.  Walking over to their bedside table, he set it down and flipped a switch. “Here. This may help some. It pulls oxygen from the air and concentrates it. It’ll help you rest better.” He’d spent several hours the previous night building the compact oxygen pump, knowing there was a high likelihood it would be needed.

Kala frowned, but took the offered mask. She didn’t put it on right away though, which drew a frown from Mikey. “Come on, babe. It’ll help.” She slipped it on and drew in a deep breath. It did indeed help some. She could feel her body soaking up the extra oxygen like a sponge. Mikey half smiled. “That’s better.” He squeezed her hand and prepared to settle on the floor beside the bed.

Kala caught his hand. “No. Lie down with me.”

Mikey hesitated. The bed was small and she wasn’t feeling well. He might make it harder on her, if he tried to climb in there beside her. Don put a hand on his shoulder and leaned in close. “I’m sure it’d make her feel better, if you hold her. Besides, you need to keep an eye on her for now.”

Mikey nodded. He stepped around the other side of the bed and slipped in behind her, wrapping an arm snuggly around her waist. As soon as Mikey touched her, all the anxiety drained from her features. She melted into him, every muscle relaxing and sleep quickly tugging at her. She hadn’t realized just how tired she was until she’d felt his strong familiar arms wrap securely around her. His breath was warm against her neck and she knew nothing in the world could harm her as long as Mikey was beside her.

Donnie gave the couple one last glance, before taking Sarah’s hand and leading her from the room. She pulled the door softly shut behind them. He stopped on the step below her and slowly looked up at her, confirming what he already felt through the bond. Unshed tears shimmered in her eyes as she stared at the closed door. He squeezed her hand, making her look down at him. Grief and worry were thick between them as she slipped her arms around his neck and took in a shuddering breath.

“I know.” He murmured softly, running his fingers through her long hair. He knew she understood everything that was happening. She’d seen the x-rays at home and the scan at the hospital which had been even more revealing. He eyed the closed door, not wanting to alert his brother. There was no need to upset him. Quietly he turned them and headed down the stairs. When they were at the bottom, he turned to her and brushed away the tears. “There’s still hope.”

She gave a shaky nod. “I just feel so bad for them.”

He let out a heavy sigh. He knew exactly how she felt because he shared that feeling. Although they were nearly sixty, Mikey was still his younger brother and the desire to protect him was still there. He feared, however, this was something no one would be able to protect him from.

The shuffle of feet and tap of a cane alerted them to Dyna entering the room. She frowned at them. “Is she resting?”

Don nodded. “Yes, Mikey will keep an eye on her.”

Dyna nodded as well. “Come, I’ve made you something to eat.”

The couple followed her into the small kitchen and took seats at the little round table. Dyna set a plate of what appeared to be some type of sandwich and fruit in front of them. Sarah smiled sadly. “Thank you. You’ve been very kind to open up your home to us.”

Dyna settled into a chair with her own plate. “It’s the least I can do. I cared deeply for Kala’s parents. It was very sad to hear that they were killed all those years ago.” She frowned. “She is very ill, isn’t she?”

Sarah bit her lip to keep it from trembling and Donnie took her hand. “Yes.” He frowned. “And based on the scan we saw earlier, it appears even worse than what we thought originally.”

Dyna’s expression seemed to drop even more. “I’m sorry. I wish I could do more.”

Sarah pulled the slip of paper from her pocket. “Obviously Dr. Ziffry didn’t work out, but he did seem to want to help. He gave us this name.”

She handed it to the older woman and Dyna read it. She smiled. “Ah, yes. I know this doctor. He is very good.” Her frowned returned. “But…”

Donnie’s expression turned slightly hard. Had Ziffry given false help? “But what?”

“He is a doctor for children. I have never known him to handle adults.” Dyna handed the paper back to Sarah.

Relief filed Don. “Oh, well, perhaps he will make an exception in this case.”

“Perhaps.” Dyna agreed.

“Could you tell us where to find him?” Sarah was worried. Kala’s condition seemed to be worsening even as they spoke.

“Yes. I can give you directions to his office.”

Sarah inclined her head. “Thank you again.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

Mira frowned at the calendar on the computer. Her father was nothing, if not organized. His entire day was listed out in front of her with time allotments beside them. She decided that some things could be put off though, as a new chore had to be added in - April’s therapy. It was something that would take at least an hour, possibly more depending on how chatty her aunt was. And because of all the recent craziness, she figured April would be pretty chatty today. Sighing, she decided that should probably be her first task.

Pushing back from the desk, she started for the stairs, only to meet Ona coming onto the floor. “Hey, how’s it going so far?”

Ona shook her head. “I’ve been running around since this morning. I don’t know how your mom manages all these chores at once plus teaching Katsu.”

Mira smiled sadly, thinking of Kala. “She usually has help.”

“Well, I guess we do have Star helping out.”

“Yeah. I’m sure she’ll be okay keeping an eye on Katsu. K-three and I can always make sure he stays on track with his lessons and isn’t charming his way out of studying.”

Ona smiled. Katsu knew he was a charmer and played the card often. The smile faded as she remembered her conversation with Kaz the day before. She wanted to hold her own child and see them smile up at her with her husband’s smile. She sighed and Mira put a hand on her shoulder, concern in her deep brown eyes. “How are you doing? I mean…after last night?”

Ona shook her head again. “I don’t know. I’m still angry and hurt that Kaz kept my past from me all this time.” She bit her lip, averting her gaze. “But in some strange way, it makes me feel good too. He’s known all this time and he still loves me, still looks at me the same way he always has.”

Mira’s hand tightened on her shoulder and Ona looked up at the older girl. “That’s because it doesn’t matter to him. He loves you for who you are now, not for who you were or what might have happened to you.” She paused looking over her shoulder in the direction of the garage. “But I can tell he’s still pretty upset about, you know, everything.”

Ona nodded. “I know.” He hadn’t slept well the previous night for obvious reasons. She let out a heavy sigh. “I think I’ll go check on him, once I’m done putting away the laundry.”

Mira smiled a little. “I think that’s a good idea.”

Ona gave a her a small smile in return and shifted the laundry basket in her arms to hug her. “Thanks.”

Mira hugged her warmly. “Any time, little sister.” Ona’s smile grew at the soft endearment. Mira gave her one last squeeze and stepped back. “See you in a bit. I’ve got to go take care of Aunt April.” She rolled her eyes. “I hope she doesn’t talk me to death.”

Ona chuckled as the petite female turtle started to climb the stairs. Then she moved on to lay Sarah’s clothes on her bed and K-three’s spare jeans on his. She laughed when she made it up the stairs to the next floor and could hear April jabbering away. Depositing Jamie and Star’s clothes, she glanced at the clock. It was still early enough that she could go out to the garage before starting lunch.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

Kaz twisted a bolt into place, going mechanically through a routine repair. His mind was so full from the last twelve hours that he just couldn’t keep it on task. Not to mention, he wanted to know how Ona was doing. He didn’t like leaving her alone after what she’d found out last night. He knew she was still upset about it, because she’d barely talked to him that morning. A hand landed on his shoulder and he jumped. Looking up, he saw both his cousins and uncle watching him.

“You okay, Kazzey?” Raph squeezed his shoulder, worry darkening his already dark eyes.

“Huh? Uh, yeah. Why?”

“Because we’ve been trying to talk to you for like three minutes.” Yoshi wore an expression very similar to his father’s.

“Sorry, I was just thinking.” Kaz looked away, not wanting to burden them with the turmoil he was feeling.

Raph frowned. “Hey, why don’t you go watch the front? Your head’s not in this right now.” For once, Raph’s tone wasn’t scolding in the least. He understood his nephew’s position. After all, those were his brothers and sisters-in-law over there in Dimension X, and he didn’t like it one bit.

Kaz gave a heavy sigh, laying down his tools. He stood slowly, head still down. “I guess.”

Raph gave him a pat on the shell. “Go on. I’ll finish this.”

Kaz didn’t have it in him to fight, so he just gave a nod and headed for the front of the shop. He only paused briefly to take a holo from a work bench near the door and turn it on. Opening the door, he started down the L shaped hall. They had built the hall so that no one could just see directly into the garage by accident and spot the motley group of giant turtles. The door at the end locked, preventing the occasional snooper or runaway toddler from getting inside. The lock like the ones in the lair could only be accessed by thumbprint of family members.

Kaz settled onto one of the stools and stared at the neat desk area. They were lucky to have the girls around. They kept the front of the shop clean and organized. Mira tended to keep the books, but Ona had started helping out with that a lot lately. Which Mira appreciated as it allowed her to spend more time in the back working with her hands.

Kaz smiled lightly. Ona had become a true asset to their family over the years and it hurt to think she might think otherwise. None of them had meant to hurt her by not telling her about her past, but it seemed that was exactly what they’d done.

His thoughts were cut off by the bell on the door chiming as someone entered. A young man approached the desk. “Hi, I came to pick up my bike.”

“Do you have your ticket?” The man handed over the red slip of paper with his claim number. Kaz typed the numbers into the computer and a picture of the bike came up followed by its status. He nodded. “It’s ready. I’ll be right back.” The man nodded and Kaz left to return a few minutes later with his bike.

“Oh, wow! She looks fantastic!” The man gave his bike a critical look. “You even got that old dent out of the fender!”

“Yeah, we got her purrin’ like a kitten. Just don’t take her muddin’ again. She’s not built for that.”

The man gave a nervous chuckle. “I guess I knew that. How much do I owe you?”

“Two fifty.”

As Kaz took the money and began printing the receipt, the man looked around the office. “So, where are those cute girls that usually work here?”

Kaz looked up. “What?”

The man didn’t seem to notice the death-glare he was receiving. “Yeah, the spunky blonde and the cute brunette with the pink highlights.”

Before he knew what he was doing, Kaz had reached across the desk and grabbed the front of the man’s jacket. “You stay away from her!”


	9. Patience

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AO3 was acting weird when I tried to post this chapter last week and then i forgot to post it here. So, you guys get a two-for today!

“Kaz!” Ona stared wide-eyed at the scene she’d walked in on. Kaz disguised by his holo was growling and had a customer half pulled over the counter. The young man for his part looked like he was about to wet himself, his eyes wide and mouth hanging open.

Kaz snapped his head around in her direction at her voice. “Ona?”

“Put him down, Kazzey.” She said calmly, approaching them. Kaz lowered the man to his feet, his eyes never leaving her. She glanced at the customer. He was a regular, but she couldn’t remember his name. She laid a hand on her spouse’s arm. “What’s going on here?”

The man smartly kept his mouth shut, while Kaz lowered his eyes. “Nothin’.”

Ona gently turned his face towards her. She gasped when she saw the torment in his gaze. “Oh, Kazzey. It’ll be alright.” She stood on her toes to wrap her arms around his neck. He shuddered, hugging her tightly.

The young man seemed to finally understand what had happened. “Oh, sorry. I didn’t realize you two were together.”

Kaz lifted his head, his expression still hard. “She’s my wife. This _is_ a family business.”

The man put up a placating hand. “Yeah, I wasn’t thinking. No hard feelings, man.” Without another word, he turned and took his bike, pushing it out the large open front doors.

When he was gone, Kaz looked down at Ona. She frowned back up at him, then took his hand and pulled him into the hall where they couldn’t be seen and pressing the button on his holo so she could see him as he truly was. The sight of him tore at her heart. She wrapped her arms back around him. “I love you. I love you so much.”

He sucked in a sharp breath, his arms tightening around her. “I love you too. Stay with me for a little while.”

“Of course.” She breathed against his neck. And so she stayed, sitting on the stool beside him and holding his hand until it was nearly lunch time. Although they didn’t talk much, just being with one another helped both feel better.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

There was a knock at the front door and Dyna answered. Zak smiled warmly. “Hello, we’re friends of Kala’s.”

Dyna nodded. “Yes, I was told you’d be coming. Please, come in.” She stepped aside allowing Dask and Zak inside.

Dask gave a small nod. “Thanks.”

Don stood from his place on the sofa as they entered. “Hey, guys.”

Sarah touched his arm warmly as she stood as well. She smiled at the two Neutrinos. “I’ll go see if Kala is awake.”

As she left the room, Dask’s expression turned serious. “Tell us the truth, Donatello. How bad is it?”

Don shook his head, unable to meet the fear in their eyes. “Bad. I was hoping that Neutrino would have something to save her.” He frowned. “But so far, we’ve been turned away.”

Dask frowned as well. They had spoken earlier over a com-link about the fiasco at the hospital. “I am sorry about that. We didn’t even think to consider the fact that since she wasn’t military, they wouldn’t help her.”

“Yeah, well, you should’ve.” Mikey grumbled as he, Kala, and Sarah joined them. “Because of that we ended up walking all over town. And Kala’s in no condition for that!”

“Mikey, it was only a few blocks.” Kala released her hold on his arm to reach for Zak.

He hugged her. “We’re still sorry. We forgot how uncool Neutrino has become to mutants.” He looked up at Mikey. “I guess we kind of forgot, because we don’t think of you guys as mutants. We think of you as family.”

“At least Dyna was kind enough to offer us a room.” Sarah moved to stand beside Donnie.

Dask looked over at their hostess. “Yes, thank you. We hadn’t considered all the anti-mutant propaganda everywhere.”

Mikey put a hand around Kala’s thin waist, moving her to a seat. “I just hope this other doctor can help. I’d hate that we dragged Kala all this way for nothing.”

“Dr. Trill is a fine doctor.” Dyna set a plate of food in Kala’s lap.

“Thank you.” Kala looked down at the plate of food that was familiar yet unfamiliar. It had been a very long time since she’d eaten the native foods of Neutrino. She picked up a slice of purple fruit. She hummed softly as the flavor flowed over her tongue. “Wow, it’s been so long. I’d forgotten just how good Bekroka fruit was.”

Mikey eyed the plate with curiosity. “It’s that good, huh?”

“Mm hmm.” Kala hummed again as she took another bite.

He started to reach for a slice on her plate, but Dyna caught his hand with a small smile. “Here, I brought you a plate too.”

“Awesome!” Mikey grinned, digging in without the slightest hesitation.

Zak gave a small chuckle. “We took the rest of the day off. So when you guys get through refueling, we can take you over to Dr. Trill’s office.”

“Sounds good to me.” Mikey mumbled around his sandwich. Beside him, Kala continued to take small bites, savoring each one like it was her last.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

It had been many years since Mikey had walked into a room and saw fear race across everyone’s faces. But that was what he saw as they entered the waiting area of Dr. Trill’s office. Mothers gasped and clutched their children against them. One or two even got up and ran out, their squalling little one in their arms. He felt Kala squeeze his hand and he looked down at her. He didn’t need his brother’s supernatural bond with his spouse to know what she was thinking. He smiled for her, ignoring the fearful looks, and she leaned into him. When she pecked his cheek, murmurs went around the room. Diligently he ignored them as well, pulling her closer and attempting to shield her from their irrational prejudice.

Behind them, both Zak and Dask moved closer. Mikey was grateful for their presence. Maybe they could convince this doctor to actually help Kala. He knew Donnie wasn’t saying everything. He’d seen the looks his brother and Sarah had shared. And he wasn’t blind. Kala was thinner than she’d ever been and her skin was often clammy and cold. She was even far paler than she was before. She was fading away right there in front of them.

The secretary looked at them curiously as they reached the desk. “Can I help you?”

“Dr. Ziffry sent us to see Dr. Trill.” Donnie explained.

The woman frowned. “I see. Do you have an appointment?”

Dask moved up beside Don. “Our friends have come from very far away. I think he will make an exception in this case.”

The woman studied Dask for a moment and the emblems on his uniform’s collar. “I’ll be right back.” She left them and Mikey felt a small amount of panic rush through him. What if they wouldn’t see her? It wasn’t like they’d called ahead or anything.

Sarah was glaring at the women in the waiting area, her face redder than normal. Donnie gripped her shoulders, bringing her against his side. Mikey could tell she was biting her tongue to prevent herself from snapping at the onlookers. As luck would have it, the nurse returned quickly with the doctor. Dr. Trill was a squatty man with round cheeks and a belly to match. He was nothing like the doctors they’d seen in the military hospital, who seemed very fit. The eyes he locked on Kala were bright and curious.

“You must be Kala Nubair. Tothur told me you would be coming by. I just didn’t realize it would be this soon.”

Zak blinked. “Tothur?”

“Yes, Tothur Ziffry.” The doctor gave Kala a critical look and then turned to his nurse. “Shama, cancel my appointments for the rest of the day.”

The nurse glanced into the waiting room. Most of the patrons were gone already. “That shouldn’t be a problem, doctor.”

Dr. Trill didn’t seem to notice himself, his attention was fully on the group before him. “Miss Nubair, if you will follow me.”

“Hamato.” Kala said firmly.

It was the doctor’s turn to blink. “Excuse me?”

“Nubair was my maiden name. It’s Hamato now. It has been for a long time.” Kala gestured at the group. “This is my family.” She slipped her arms further around Mikey.

Someone in the waiting area muttered a little too loudly. “No wonder she’s sick.”

Growling, Sarah spun around and glared so hard at the only two women remaining that they both jumped to their feet and left. Don looked like he was about to have a panic attack, but Mikey couldn’t help the small chuckle. He’d been on the receiving end of that glare enough that he knew how scary it could be.

Dr. Trill raised a brow, but refrained from commenting on the situation. “Oh, I see. Very well, come this way.” He turned to lead them down a long hall to a rather large room in the back. The space was actually divided into two spaces with the second being smaller, set behind a wall. “Lie down here.” He gestured to a cot that was similar to the one in the hospital, but there was no display above the bed.

As Kala laid down and stretched out, Dask and Zak stepped to the back of the room to give the others a bit of privacy. Dr. Trill pressed a button on the side of the bed. A series of lights flashed. He gave Kala a polite smile. “Dr. Ziffry filled me in as best he could, but I like to do my own analysis. So, how are you feeling now?”

Kala thought this over for a moment. “A little better than this morning, but that probably has something to do with Donnie’s oxygen pump.” Kala gestured at Donatello standing a few paces behind the doctor.

Dr. Trill looked over his shoulder. “You must be the one that’s been caring for her?”

Don nodded. “Yes.”

“Then why don’t we step back here and review the scans.”

As Don followed the doctor into the smaller section of the room, Sarah moved up beside Kala and squeezed her hand. “It sounds like he’s going to help.”

Mikey let out a heavy breath. “It’s about time somebody did.” Sarah frowned, reaching out and rubbing his arm gently. She knew he was scared and getting frustrated with the lack of help so far. The fact was they all were getting frustrated, she only hoped that would change with this doctor.

Inside the smaller section of the room, Dr. Trill and Donnie went over the scans. Don explained everything he knew so far and what the normal treatment would be on Earth.

“It was wise not to give her the anti-bacterial. I’m not so sure it would work as it should. But we can run some scenarios on my simulator.”

Don frowned. “Simulator?”

“Yes, it simulates a bodies reaction to certain drugs and the like. It has helped prevent bad reactions in patients in the past. It also will tell us how effective or ineffective certain things will be.”

“How accurate is it?”

“It’s had a ninety-eight percent proven accuracy.”

Don gave a small nod. “What would you need from Kala in order to use the simulator?”

“Blood samples and perhaps a tissue sample from her lungs. Did you bring any of the anti-bacterial with you?”

“Yes. But wouldn’t a tissue sample from her lung require percutaneous needle aspiration?”

“It would, but I’m not certain we will be able to get around it.”

“Can you do it here in your office?”

“Yes. It is a fairly simple procedure.”

Don glanced around the corner at his family. “On Earth she would likely have to have a lung transplant, due to all the scar tissue. Is that something your people can do?” He looked back at the doctor with reserved hope in his eyes.

Dr. Trill frowned. “Unfortunately, we have focused more on cyborg technology when it comes to injures, rather than transplant techniques. And lungs are not part of that equation either.”

Don frowned. “You’re saying you can’t do a transplant then.”

“Sadly, no. You have to understand that our home world has been under attack for eons and our people focus more on survival than on healing the weak among us.”

“And that’s why Dr. Ziffry couldn’t help us.” Don concluded.

The round man gave a nod. “Yes, he wouldn’t have had the ability to help. But with my experience and the simulator, we may still have a fighting chance.”

“May I assist you with your analysis?”

The doctor smiled then. “Absolutely! I would very much appreciate it as you know her history better than I.”

“Then let’s get started.” Donnie dropped his gaze. “I’m not sure how long she really has.”

“Agreed. Her case will only get worse.” Dr. Trill led the way back into the adjoining room.

Mikey looked from the doctor to his brother. “Well, can you help her?”

“We are certainly going to try.” Dr. Trill went about collecting the supplies he needed on a nearby counter. “I will need some blood and a sample of your lung tissue.”

Mikey’s eyes grew wide. “You want a piece of her lung! Isn’t she already in enough pain!”

Donnie moved close to him and Kala. “It’s okay, Mikey. He’s only going to take a little bit, about the size of the tip of a needle.”

“And she will be asleep.” Dr. Trill turned to look at the rather large group. “As a matter of fact, I’d like you all to step outside, so we can start the procedure now.”

Mikey straightened. “No way! I’m not going anywhere!”

“Mikey…” Don started, but his brother set his jaw. He sighed. “He’s not going to leave her, doctor. Is it alright if he stays?”

“Yes, as long as he doesn’t interfere and remains outside the sterile-field.” The doctor went back to arranging items on a tray.

Sarah frowned and squeezed her spouse’s arm. “I think you should stay too.” Don nodded. He had a feeling his brother may not like what he was going to see.

“We’ll wait in the lobby.” Dask stopped to pat Kala’s shoulder warmly and smile at her. Zak paused as well to squeeze her hand.

Sarah turned to follow them, but the doctor spoke up. “Miss, would you mind sending the nurse in?” She gave a small nod before leaving.

Don pulled Mikey aside. “Are you sure you want to stay? This type of procedure is not pleasant to watch.”

Mikey frowned. “Is it going to hurt her?”

“No, no.” Don assured him quickly. “But it’s going to look like it.”

Mikey set his jaw. “I can handle it.”

Donnie wasn’t so sure. “Dr. Trill, would you mind showing my brother the extraction needle?”

“Of course.” The doctor held up a needle attached to a gun like device. The needle was several inches long.

Mikey’s eyes grew round. “You’re gonna put that in her!”

Don put a hand on his shoulder. “She won’t feel it. She’ll be asleep.”

Mikey looked at his brother hesitantly. “You’re sure about this?” Don nodded and Mikey sighed. He moved back to Kala’s bedside and leaned over her. “You don’t have to this if you don’t want to.”

She smiled and stroked his cheek warmly. “Yes, I do.”

“I love you. I’ll be right here when you wake up.”

“I love you too.” She pulled him down into a surprise kiss.

He smiled down at her when she released him. She tried to return it but he could see the fear in her blue eyes. “I do have one question though.” He asked after just a moment.

Kala was caught off guard a bit. “A question for me?”

He grinned. “Yeah, could I have your lollipop when you’re done?”

Kala stared at him for a split-second and then burst into laughter. She threw her arms around him. “That’s my Michelangelo, always thinking with your stomach!”


	10. Decisions

Kala woke slowly to find Mikey settled in a chair beside her bed. He smiled at her, then lifted his head to look at something she couldn’t see. “She’s waking up.”

“Good.” Donnie came into view. “Everything went fine, Kala. But you’ll need to rest for a while.”

She took in a breath and realized the pressure in her chest was greatly reduced. “I can breathe easier.”

“Yes, Dr. Trill did a thoracentesis while you were under. He removed as much fluid as he could from your lungs and pleural space. You should feel some relief from that alone.”

Mikey leaned forward, stroking her cheek. “I’m gonna take you back to Dyna’s as soon as the doc says we can leave.” He smiled and there seemed to be a measure of relief behind it this time. Donnie had explained that the procedure would make her feel better, but it wasn’t a temporary solution. Fluid would begin to build again, if they couldn’t fix the underlying problems. _But at least she’ll feel better for a little while._

Dr. Trill appeared from behind the dividing wall. “Her vitals are all normal.” He smiled down at Kala. “I’ve got everything I need for now. I suggest you rest tonight. I know you probably feel a lot better, but you’re in no shape to be running around the city yet.”

Mikey helped as Kala started to sit up. She gave the doctor a weak smile. “Thank you for helping.”

“Don’t worry, we’re going to do our best to take care of you.”

She nodded and Mikey walked her out of the exam room door. Dask, Zak, and Sarah were all pleased to see her. “Time to head back to Dyna’s.” Mikey told them.

Sarah looked up at Donnie as he shook his head. “I’m going to stay with Dr. Trill and start trying to find something that will help her.”

She frowned. “Do you want me to stay?”

“No, I need you to stay with Kala.” Her frown deepened but she nodded her agreement and he kissed her brow. “Will you call Leo for me and let him know what’s going on?”

“Alright.” She leaned up and gave him a warm kiss before stepping away.

“You have our com link, if you need a ride back later.” Dask reminded him.

“Yeah, I do. Thanks.” The genius watched as his wife left with his brother and sister-in-law. He had a feeling this was going to be a long night, one of many he would have in the near future.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

**Two Weeks Later**

April sighed as she watched Yoshi place another stack of boxes on the floor of her bedroom. “What about all my furniture?”

“It’s downstairs.” Yoshi assured her. “K-three, Uncle Leo and Mom are almost done with the elevator. It’ll probably be up in the next day or two. We can bring some of your furniture up then, if you want.”

April sighed. “It would be nice to have my own bedroom furniture at least.”

“I’m sure we can arrange that.” Kaz smiled as he entered and set another stack of boxes on top of Yoshi’s.

“Are you sure you got everything?” April asked for at least the tenth time.

Kaz rolled his eyes. “Yes, Uncle Leo went with us. He made us check every inch of your place. We got everything.”

“And the apartment manager was okay with me not giving a month’s notice?” April was a bit skeptical. Her apartment manager was not very nice.

Yoshi chuckled. “Uh, yeah after Mira tore him a new one, he was very… agreeable.”

“Yoshi!” Cat scolded as she entered with a small box – the only thing Raph would let her tote up three flights.

Yoshi rolled his eyes now. “Come on, Mom, it’s not like you haven’t heard worse from Dad.”

Cat snorted. “Which is probably where you learned that.”

Raph stepped into the doorway, carrying several boxes of his own. He glanced from his wife to his son. “Did you just get me in trouble?”

Yoshi couldn’t help the small grin. “Kinda.” He was an adult, it wasn’t like his mother could do much about his bad habits now.

April managed to save the day. “Whoa, wait a minute, back up. What did Mira say to him?”

It was Kaz’s turn to laugh. “Let’s just say she left him chasing his own tail. He didn’t know which way was up when she got done with him. She even talked him into giving back half of this month’s rent.” He shook his head with a smile. “It’s never wise to play word games with her.”

April wasn’t sure whether to feel appalled or relieved. She settled on the latter, a smile breaking out on her wrinkled face. “I wish I could have seen his face.”

Cat looked around. “Where is Mira?”

Raph settled his stack of boxes on the floor next to the others. “She said she had to stop in the lab for something.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

Mira frowned at her mother’s appearance over the small video relay. She looked exhausted with dark circles under her eyes, which meant her father probably looked worse. “So, there’s been no progress?”

Sarah shook her head. “They’ve eliminated a lot of possible treatments, but nothing so far can reverse any of the damage done.”

“How much longer do you think you’ll be?”

“I don’t know, sweetheart. It could be days or even weeks. They’re working as fast as they can. Your father is in the lab practically day and night working through as many simulations as he can. Dr. Trill is only able to join him in the evenings.” Sarah sighed. “Their technology isn’t as advanced as we’d hoped, but it’s still far better than Earth’s.”

Mira didn’t need her empathic powers to see how much pain that statement caused her mother. “That bad, huh?”

Sarah glanced around her to be certain she was alone. “Yes. I wish I had better news.”

Mira nodded. “Alright. I’ll let Uncle Leo know.” They’d decided after several communications that is was better Kaz didn’t hear every detail about what was happening, so they’d started making two separate calls home. The first, which would be done during the day, would be to relay pertinent details of their progress on Neutrino. The second, which was done in the evening, was so Kaz could see and talk with his parents. It might have been a little deceptive, but they all felt it was better if Mikey relayed information to his son. And he only did that when he felt he really had some news to tell.

“I’ll contact you back at the usual time tonight.” Sarah paused. “And, sweetheart?”

“Yeah?” The two pair of deep brown eyes held each other for lingering moment.

“We miss you.”

Mira tried to smile. “We miss you too.” She let out a heavy sigh as the screen went blank.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

Ona grimaced at the contents of the refrigerator. How did they manage to go through so much milk, bread, and eggs? Hadn’t they recently gone grocery shopping? She let out a heavy sigh. Everyone was busy right now. She could hear Kaz and Yoshi arguing in the living room, where they were bringing in April’s furniture. Cat and Mira were upstairs supposedly helping April unload her boxes, while Raph and Shinta continued to carry them up the stairs. Star was chasing Katsu around the dojo, trying desperately to keep him out from under Leo and K-three.

 _Well, I’ll just have to go get it myself._ She thought briefly of her step-father, but figured that threat had passed. It had been more than two weeks since they’d seen him. _Besides, the store is only two blocks away._ She needed some of the deplenished items to make dinner, so she really didn’t have the time to wait for someone to stop what they were doing just to walk to the store with her.

The living room grew silent and Ona decided this was her chance to slip out without being stopped or a bodyguard being forced on her, whether she thought one was necessary or not. Grabbing her purse, she checked to be sure she had cash and her cell before stepping into the living room. The room was indeed empty and she could now here Kaz and Yoshi’s argument coming from the stairwell. A touch of guilt hit her. She should probably at least tell Kaz she was leaving. Then again, he’d try to go with her. _No. I’ll be fifteen minutes max. Nobody will even know I was gone._

Stepping out the front door of the old hotel, she found the sun shining. For a brief moment, she allowed its warmth to seep into her skin, filling her with more confidence. Squaring her shoulders, she started up the street past Jamie’s music shop. She didn’t notice when the older woman lifted her head and spotted her walking by. She kept her pace quick. This needed to be fast before either Kaz or Leo got wind of her leaving. Leo hadn’t exactly said it was okay for them to leave the lair yet. But the incident with her step-father had been weeks ago.

She frowned as the memory of that horrible article flashed across her mind. She still couldn’t understand how Kaz could look at her knowing what had happened to her. She sighed, allowing her sweet turtle to come to the forefront of her mind. He was still pretty torn up about his mother, not that anyone could blame him. He’d been rather clingy lately and she knew it was partly because of Kala but also partly because of her. He was trying desperately to reassure her that he loved her. Some part of her knew he was only trying to protect her and even appreciated it. But another part was hurt by what felt like a betrayal – a betrayal by the only person she had completely trusted from her first moment of awareness.

He loved her. That she knew very well by his soft whispers, sorrowful pleas, and desperate tears. It was a simple and eternal truth like the sun in the sky and air to breathe. A fact that could not be changed. Which made the fact that she’d just slipped out on him fill her with even more guilt. _I really need to hurry up._ She fumbled for her cell to check the time, not really noticing her surroundings, when she ran headlong into a solid mass.

Her cell slipped from her fingers and skidded across the cement. She cringed, knowing it would have a large scratch on it now. “Oh, excuse me. I’m terribly sorry.” She looked up to see who she’d run into and gasped. “You!”

Wikoli grinned broadly. “Ah! I see you know me now.”

She took a step back, preparing to make a run for it. “M-my husband told me about you.”

He raised a thick dark brow. “Oh, what did he tell you? Did he tell you that I took care of you and your mother from the time you were five? Did he tell you I taught you to play the guitar? Did he tell you after your mother died that I was the one that fed you and clothed you and sent you to school?”

Ona took another step back. “I-I saw the article. I know what you did to me.”

“Lies!” He growled. This time he took a step forward, pulling something from his pocket. Ona almost bolted, but paused when she saw the shimmer of gold. He dangled a heart-shaped locket in front of him. “This was your mother’s. I was wearing it when they sent me away.” He looked up at her. “I’ll give it to you, if you’ll just listen to my side of the story.”

She knew it was a trick, but it didn’t stop the brief moment of curiosity and longing that distracted her. That was all it took though. Something struck her in the face hard and darkness quickly swallowed her.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

“We shoulda just waited for ‘em to finish the elevator.” Yoshi complained as he followed Kaz down the stairs.

“Aunt April said she needed it now.” Kaz stepped off the bottom step and stretched his back.

Yoshi frowned. “So, Mom said they’ll be done by tomorrow.” He rubbed at his shoulder where he’d hit on a corner, trying to lug the heavy recliner up the stairs.

Kaz shot him a look. “Stop complainin’ already, will you? It was one chair.” Yoshi continued to grumble as Kaz left him, headed for the kitchen. “Babe?” He frowned at the empty room, then shrugged. She might be somewhere else. Their new home was rather large. He pulled a soda from the fridge and popped the top off, before heading into the dojo. The first person he ran across was Star. She was panting from chasing the toddler around and blocking his constant attempts at getting the tools scattered there. “Hey, where’s Ona?”

Star turned to him with a giggling Katsu in her arms. She frowned. “Wasn’t she in the kitchen? I saw her in there a few minutes ago.”

“No.”

Star shrugged. “Have you checked downstairs. She could be doing the laundry.”

Kaz frowned. He was pretty certain she’d already done that today. “I’ll check.” After checking the basement where the washer and dryer were kept, and finding nothing, he headed for their bedroom. Finding it empty as well, he stopped beside K-three who was working on the cage at the end of the hall. “Have you guys seen Ona? I can’t find her anywhere.”

K-three frowned. “No.” He leaned out over the gap that was the elevator shaft. “Leo, you seen Ona?”

On the top floor, Leo paused in the assemblage of his own cage. “Ona? No. It’s almost dinner time, she’s probably in the kitchen.”

Kaz stuck his head out to meet his uncle’s gaze. “She’s not and I can’t find her anywhere.”

“I’ll ask the others if she’s been up here.” Leo stepped away to ask everyone gathered in April’s room if any of them had seen her. He returned only a few moments later. “No one else has seen her either.” Leo could see worry wash over his nephew’s features. “I’ll be right down.”

Within a few minutes everyone had gathered downstairs in the living room and a search of their home had been completed. Shinta came running in from the garage. “She’s not out there either. Everything is locked up and the alarm’s on.”

Leo’s frown deepened as he turned to eldest nephew. “She didn’t say anything to you?”

Kaz shook his head, cell in hand. “No, and she’s not answering my calls.”

Cat put a hand on his arm. She could feel him trembling beneath her fingers. “Maybe she took off on her own to run an errand or something.”

Jamie stepped in from the music shop where she’d just closed up. She stared around, knowing instantly something was wrong. “What’s going on?”

Leo glanced past her. “Ona wasn’t in there with you, was she?”

Jamie’s brow bunched. “Of course not. I saw her leave a half an hour ago.” When Leo’s eyes went wide, she blinked. “You mean you didn’t tell her she could leave?”

Leo scowled. “No, I did not.”

“Do you know where she went?” Raph asked.

Jamie shook her head. “I saw her through the window. I just assumed it was okay. She looked like she was in a hurry.”

“I’ve located her cell.” Mira looked up from her own phone. She let out a small sigh. “It’s down near the grocery store.” Then she frowned as she examined the screen more intently. “But it’s not at the grocery and it’s not moving.”

Kaz was already moving towards the door, but Leo stopped him. “Hold on, Kaz. We need to gear up. We don’t know what’s happened - if anything.”

Kaz glared. “No way! I’m going now!”

Leo started to protest but Raph put up a hand, shaking his head. “Alright, Yoshi and I’ll go with you.”

Leo frowned. “Fine, Mira and K-three get whatever you think you might need. Come on, Shinta. Let’s get our gear.”

Kaz didn’t wait to hear more as he, Raph and Yoshi flipped on their holos and raced down the sidewalk. Within minutes they were approaching the grocery. Kaz stopped when he spotted the hot pink phone laying on the sidewalk. He picked it up. “This is Ona’s.”

Yoshi hurried past him the last the few yards into the front of the grocery. He returned a moment later, a scowl in place. “They ain’t seen her.”

“So, she didn’t make it inside.” Raph looked around. He didn’t see any major clues right off.

Kaz stood, panic overwhelming him. “Ona! ONA! **ONA!** ” His heart pounded as he raced from alley to alley. “Ona!”

Raph caught him by the shoulders. “Kazzey, calm down. We’ll find her.” He growled. “I swear we will. And when we do we’ll make that bastard pay.”

Kaz dropped his head to hide the fear in his eyes. “What if he…?”

Raph’s grip tightened, his gaze determined. “We’ll find her before he can do anything to her. I know we will.”


	11. Fear

The first thing Ona was aware of was that her head really hurt. She blinked her eyes to see a dingy thread bare carpet. The taste of a dirty rag clogged her mouth and the sticky feel of duct tape held her wrists behind her. Lifting her head, the room swam in and out of focus for a moment. When it finally settled back to normal, she determined she was in a ratty old motel. The wallpaper was peeling, the ceiling was covered in stains, and the room stank of smoke and other unpleasant smells.

She tried to move, only to find her hands were taped to a pipe sticking out of the wall behind her. She tugged with no success until the door opened. Wikoli glared at her as he shut the door behind him. She glared back as he approached her, subconsciously pulling her body into a small ball. The action seemed to amuse her captor. He smirked as he squatted down in front of her.

“I don’t know what happened to make you forget our special time together, but it doesn’t matter. Because we’re gonna make some new memories.” He licked his lips as he dragged a dirty finger down her cheek. “You remind me of your mother – so pretty.”

Ona felt her skin crawl where he touched her. She jerked her head away from him. He frowned, giving her a slap. He yanked her head back around to face him. “You think you’re too good for me? You’re nothing! I broke you once. I can do it again! You’re gonna want me to touch you when I’m done with you.” He sneered and she wanted to retch but couldn’t because of her gag.

Wikoli stood and walked back to the bed where he’d left a paper bag. She watched in horror as he pulled out several pairs of handcuffs. Her guts twisted tighter as she watched him hook them onto the bed railings. _No!_ Tears stung the backs of her eyes. _Kazzey!_

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

Star watched Cat stare out the window near the front door from her place on one of the couches. Beside her, Katsu sat playing a small handheld video game. Although he didn’t like it when his parents left, he understood why and so he did what he often did when left on his own, distract himself. If he didn’t his overly active intelligent mind would start forming terrible scenarios. Unlike his mother, he’d never been able to sense other’s emotions, but he was extremely perceptive for a child his age. And he knew right now that everyone was upset and tense. He could tell something bad was happening, he just hoped no one was hurt.

Across from them Jamie sat twirling the gold band around her finger. She was worried about Ona. If she’d known that Leo had yet to release Kaz and Ona from their temporary grounding, she would’ve rushed out to stop her. Sighing, she remembered something Leo had said long ago. _“Assumptions can be dangerous.”_ She frowned feeling her own guilt swell inside her. It would be her fault if something happened to Ona. She’d let her leave without a second thought.  Now all she could do was pray that their lost family member would come home safely.

The intercom sounded. “Hey, did you guys forget to bring me my lunch?”

Cat turned away from the window allowing the thick curtain to fall back into place. She strolled to the box on the wall. “Sorry, April. Things just got a little nuts around here.”

April chuckled softly. “It’s alright. I’ve come to expect it.”

Cat sighed. “I’ll get it up to you.”

“Thanks.”

Cat released the button and entered the kitchen. Star sighed and followed after her. She’d been thinking about what Yoshi had said the night before the others had left for Neutrino. There were still things she didn’t understand and she needed to, so she could fully be there for him. Stopping in the doorway of the large kitchen, she watched Cat place a sandwich and chips on a plate. A sudden rush of nervousness overtook her. She’d never really had any kind of true family and Yoshi’s had somehow become hers over the past year. She didn’t want to disappoint them or lose them.

“What is it?”

Star looked up to find Cat watching her. “I, well, uh… Yoshi and I have been talking, and he wanted me to talk to you.”

Cat frowned. “Oh, what have you been talking about?”

“Getting married.”

Cat nearly dropped the tray she’d just loaded down. She slowly settled it back on the counter. “Are you sure that’s what you want?” She turned to look at the younger girl, who shifted from foot to foot. “You have only known each other a year.”

“Yoshi said you and Raph only knew each other a few months.” Star pointed out.

Cat nodded. “That’s true, but that was also different. We were older than you two. Marriage isn’t something to enter into lightly and especially not in this family.”

Star frowned. “He said something like that too. But I don’t understand what the big deal is. If we love each other, isn’t that all that matters. I mean most of the foster homes I lived in the couples weren’t married or anything. People just don’t do that anymore.”

Cat’s brow furrowed. “I’m sorry if that has been your experience in the past, but that’s not how this family does things. The idea of honor, loyalty, and devotion is instilled in them from a very young age. Bushido demands they behave honorably. Which means every member of the family is expected to behave that way. So being a member of this family is a very serious commitment. We are forced to live apart from the outside world because of their differences. We have our own traditions and ceremonies.”

She leaned back against the counter, folding her arms and watching the young woman before her. “So just to say you want to be part of this family, but not truly give an act of commitment isn’t enough. That’s why we hold the marriage ceremony. It may never be written on paper in some courthouse, but it is written into the clan’s history – into our hearts.” She sighed, not certain she was getting her point across. “Look, being the spouse of a mutant turtle has its definite perks, but it also means you have to be willing to sacrifice – everything. And I do mean everything, even your own life to keep their secret and keep them safe. When you say your vows, it won’t just be to him, it is to the entire family. You are promising to lay down your life to protect them. Do you understand?”

Star continued to frown. “I do, but most people don’t bother with marriage vows anymore.”

“Think about it this way. If you don’t give that promise and you just have a relationship, it means you can walk away whenever you want. But if you truly love someone, you should be more than willing to give that vow of devotion to one another. You can’t just give up whenever you want, you have to work at it. And that’s how real relationships are – they’re work.” Cat smirked. “Oh, there are the good parts, but there can be the tough parts too. But having that promise to one another gives you more reason to come together and overcome those obstacles.”

“I’ve heard you and Raph fight before.”

Cat couldn’t help the chuckle. “Yeah, we fight. And believe me, if you and my son marry you’ll fight too. It’s just who they are – stubborn and hardheaded.” She turned to pick up the tray of food. “But there can be an upside to that too.”

Star blinked. “There can?”

Cat grinned as she started past her. “Oh, yes. The making up can be a lot of fun.”

Star gaped at her, which only made Cat’s laughter increase. She watched the older woman head up the staircase and mulled over what she’d been told. Star was beginning to understand now. To marry into the Hamato clan held great significance to them. She wasn’t just marrying the turtle she’d come to love, but swearing fealty to his family as well. The question was, was she willing to sacrifice anything and everything to be with Yoshi? She gave a firm nod without hesitation. _Yes. Yes, I am._

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

Ona struggled as her captor moved her from the wall to the bed. She screamed and kicked, and generally thrashed her body about. Wikoli grunted, tossing her onto the bed. Ona immediately tried to scramble away from him. He slapped her hard, making the room spin. Now considerably more docile, he yanked her around to handcuff her to the bed rail. “Mmm! Mmm!” Ona pleaded with her eyes for him to take the rag from her mouth.

“You want to say something to me, kaʻu pua?” He leaned close, his hot breath dancing across her face. She swallowed hard and nodded. “If you scream, you will regret it.”

He pulled the gag from her mouth and she gasped for air for a moment. “Listen to me, if you let me go now, I can talk to him – convince him to let you live.”

Wikoli snorted. “You mean that scrawny husband of yours? I’m not scared of him.”

Ona frowned. Wikoli had only seen Kaz’s holo image which was of a rather slender human. He hadn’t seen the muscular turtle that she knew was there. “You don’t understand. If you hurt me, he will come after you, our whole family will! They _will_ kill you!”

The man’s eyes narrowed into a vicious glare as he pulled something from his pocket. He brought it up so she could see the black barrel. She gasped as he pressed the cold mussel of the pistol against her cheek. “Let them come.”

“No!” Ona screamed as he tucked the gag back into her mouth. “Mmm! Mmm!” She twisted and tossed as he cuffed her ankles to the bed.

He smirked down at her as he removed his belt. “But before they come, I’m going to teach you a lesson for running away from me.” He reached out and caught her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. “Na'u `oe, Malani. And I’m going to make sure you never forget it again.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

Kaz paced back and forth like a caged lion as Mira tapped into the cameras along the street. They’d done an initial sweep of the area but had come up empty. “What’s taking so long! We need to find her now!” He growled at Mira and K-three inside the van. K-three and Leo frowned at him but refrained from comment.

Yoshi caught his cousin’s arm. “You gotta calm down, bro. We’re not gonna leave her out there.”

Kaz shook his head, a wild look in his eyes. “You don’t know what he did to her!” He clenched his hands into white knuckled fists. “If he so much as touches a hair on her head-!”

“Kaz!” Leo stepped around and took the younger turtle’s shoulders. “We will find her, I swear. Now just take a deep breath.” Kaz stared at his calm collected uncle and sensei, trying to draw strength from his steady confidence. He drew in one deep breath.

“Found him!” Mira announced. Everyone turned to stare at her as a dozen camera images flashed across the screen. “He entered a hotel about two blocks north of us.”

K-three jumped into the driver’s seat. “Where?”

“Jackson between twenty-first and twenty-second streets.” Mira directed. The others were already inside the van as it peeled out from the curb.

Leo sat in the passenger’s seat. “Take it easy, K-three. We don’t need to get pulled over.”

The Turtleoid bit his lip to prevent a sharp retort and only eased up on the gas slightly. The van was still whipping in and out of traffic. In less than two minutes they came to an abrupt stop outside a seedy hotel. A sign with half broken bulbs flashed in the window declaring by the hour rates. Before they’d even come to a full stop, Kaz was jumping out the back doors, Yoshi hot on his heels. The others followed mere seconds behind them.

Kaz threw open the front door and before the manager could react, had pulled him straight over the counter and slammed him against a wall. “Where is she!” The balding man trembled and blubbered for a moment, which only served to infuriated the turtle further. “Do not make me ask twice!”

“I don’t know who you’re talking about!” The man cringed as Kaz snarled. He reached into his pocket for his cell and shoved the image of Ona into the man’s face.

“Her! We know she’s here! Where!”

The man’s eyes widened slightly. “Room 16.” Kaz threw him to the ground with another snarl and turned to race up the staircase. The manager coward as the six large men and one woman charged up the stairs. “I didn’t know!” He protested. “He said she was his daughter!”

Leo caught up with Kaz just as he reached the door. “Wait!” He hissed, stopping his nephew. His well-honed ninja instincts told him there was an ambush on the other side of that door. What he didn’t know was what kind of ambush.

Kaz glared at him. “That is my wife in there, Uncle Leo!”

Leo frowned. He knew he wasn’t going to be able to contain Kaz for long. He looked at the large group in the hall. “Holos off.” This guy might be expecting them, but he wasn’t expecting seven giant turtles. Kaz started for the door again, but Leo stopped him. “Be careful. He knows we’re here.”

Kaz gave a sharp nod and kicked in the door. The sight before him was nothing short of a nightmare. Ona was handcuffed to the filthy hotel bed, a gag in her mouth, her shirt front half ripped, and tears poured down her cheeks. She let out a muffled scream and Kaz felt his heart bottom out. And for a split second he froze, unable to move from the shock. The metallic click of a safety was his only warning.

In the milliseconds that followed Kaz spotted the man crouched behind the bed, the pistol in his hand, and he spun away from the door just as a bullet was released from the chamber. The hot metal slid across the top of his shoulder, grazing him and embedded itself in the hallway wall.

“Shit!” Raph cursed as everyone ducked.

Leo grabbed Kaz and pulled him further away from the door. “Are you alright?”

Kaz pressed a hand to his shoulder. “It’s just a scratch.” He shoved away his uncle’s probing hands and stood up again. “He has her in there!”

“What did you see?” Leo prompted.

“He’s got an semi-automatic. He’s on the other side of the room, behind the bed.” Kaz said flatly.

Leo frowned. That wasn’t good. It put Ona in potential danger, which was probably why the guy had chosen the position. He was using her as a human shield. “Did you see another way in? Was there a window?”

Kaz blinked, trying to recall the few seconds of a glance he’d gotten. Finally, he nodded. “Yeah, behind him.”

Leo glanced at the younger team leader. “K-three.”

“I’m on it. Yoshi, Shinta you’re with me.” The Turtleoid turned and headed back up the stairs, his two charges following.

“Now what?” Raph watched Leo move a little closer to the door. He used the reflection on his katana to get a glimpse inside the room. A bullet whizzed past him breaking part of the doorframe and once again embedding itself in the opposite wall.

Leo ducked back down the hall a few paces. “Let her go and we’ll show you mercy!”

“I’ll show you mercy too. Just stick your ugly heads out a little further!” Wikoli called back.

Leo moved back to the others. “A frontal assault isn’t going to work, we’re too confined in here.”

Mira eyed the door behind them. “How about one from the side?” The three remaining turtles looked at her skeptically. “The walls here are paper thin.” She demonstrated by elbowing a hole in the wall beside her with little effort. “They don’t make these kinds of places to code.”

Raph raised an eye ridge. “You wanna go through the wall?”

“Fine.” Leo nodded.  “Raph go with her.”

Raph blinked. “Seriously?”

Leo frowned at him. “Yes, seriously. If nothing else it’ll serve as a distraction to our lone gunman in there.” He allowed a small smile. “I thought you liked breaking things?”

Raph smirked, cracking his knuckles. “Yeah, I do.” Without further hesitation, he kicked in the adjacent door. Luckily no one was occupying the room at the time or he might have walked in on an awkward scene. He glanced down at Mira and offered her a hand up where she was crouched along the hallway. “Come on, kiddo. Let’s go bust a hole through a wall.” Mira grinned taking her uncle’s hand.

As they disappeared into the vacant room, Kaz frowned at Leo. “And what are we gonna do?”

“We’re going to keep his attention on us, until everyone is in position.”

Kaz growled. “Then I get to break his teeth?”

Leo’s eyes narrowed. That was one of his clan in there tied to that bed. He knew the rage his nephew felt, because he was feeling it too. “Then we’re going to break more than his teeth.”


	12. Hard Times

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry, I forgot to post on Monday. Lot of real life stuff going on lately.

K-three crouched on the roof two flights above his target with Yoshi and Shinta to either side. There was no fire escape on this side of the building. But luckily it was facing an alley, which meant no prying eyes. It didn’t surprise him that he hadn’t yet heard a siren. It was likely the manager was too scared out of his wits to call the police. Which also worked to their advantage. “Grapplers, boys.”

The three hooked their lines to the parapet and began to descend along the rough brick wall.

Inside, Raph leaned against the wall separating them from Wikoli’s room. He could hear soft sobbing on the other side and it made his blood boil. That monster had already hurt Ona once when she was just a kid, he was not about to let it happen again.

In the hall, Leo and Kaz slipped silently closer to the door. “What do you want with Ona?” Leo demanded.

“What business is it of yours, freak!” Wikoli retorted from deep within the room.

“She’s my wife!” Kaz shouted. It was taking everything in him not to bolt back into that room and decapitate the filthy human. But if he did, Ona could be hurt in the process.

“That’s disgusting!” Wikoli shot Ona a nauseated look. “You let that _thing_ touch you!”

Ona growled through the gag, her eyes full of anger. She jerked at her cuffs. How dare he talk about Kaz that way!

Spotting the man’s attention on Ona, Leo called back to Raph. “Now!”

Glancing down at Mira, Raph frowned. She moved back a few paces as he threw himself into the wall. It crumpled beneath his weight like paper. He immediately dove for cover as Wikoli released a round in his direction.

The crack of gunfire was the signal K-three had been waiting for. He immediately released a length of his rope to swing down and through the window. Ona’s captor was startled and didn’t have time to swing the pistol up at him before the large Turtleoid crashed into him. The following seconds were a flurry of movement as Yoshi kicked the gun from Wikoli’s hand and Kaz appeared out of nowhere, jabbing his kusarigama into the human’s shoulder and simultaneously slamming a fist into the man’s face.

Wikoli managed to shove K-three off him and pull away from Kaz, who had the fire of Hell burning in his normally cool blue eyes. Mira was already beside Ona, unlocking the cuffs. As soon as one of her hands was free, she yanked the gag from her mouth. “Kaz!”

He immediately turned away from his foe to gather her into his arms as she began to sob. “It’s alright. I’ve got you now. Shh.” He pressed kisses to her face, stroking her hair and rocking her softly, while she clutched at him. His body was still rushing with adrenaline and her trembling was only making him angrier. He glared over her head at the man, who’d nearly hurt her, baring his teeth and growling rather loudly.

Meanwhile Yoshi, Raph, Shinta, and K-three were squaring off with the large human. “I’d give up, if I were you. You’re way outnumbered.” K-three pointed out.

“I’d rather ya fight.” Raph cracked his knuckles. “That way I can break ya in half.”

Wikoli pulled a knife from his pocket and swung it at Shinta, who was near the door. The teen easily blocked the blow. But it hadn’t been the man’s intent to actually make contact, but rather to distract so he could make a run for it. He didn’t count on the angry Leonardo that appeared in the doorway or the sharp tip of his sword piercing his gut.

Shinta stared at his father slack-jawed, but Leo’s gaze was fixed with Wikoli’s. “I will not make the same mistake again. You threaten my clan, you pay.” The man stumbled away, a sick gurgling noise escaping him as he collapsed in a bloody pile. Everyone stared at their leader for a long moment. It was rare for Leo to show quite so much brutality, but they also knew where he was coming from. They had let Kassic, Eznic, and Dandrick live, only for them to return and threaten their loved ones again. It appeared that Leo wasn’t even willing to take that risk this time.

Only Ona’s soft crying filled the silence in the room, until at last K-three spoke. “We need to go.”

Kaz gathering his still weeping wife into his arms and pressed the on button on his holo. Ona sucked in a sharp breath, trying to calm down. “Wait.” She half whispered drawing Kaz’s attention.

He blinked down at her. “Babe?”

“The locket. He has my mother’s locket.” Her voice shook terribly, but she forced the words out. K-three knelt beside the man and rummaged through his pockets, finding the gold heart-shaped necklace. He placed it into Ona’s hand as Kaz carried her around the bed. She clutched it to her chest. “Thank you.”

Leo stepped aside as his nephew made his way out into the hall. Mira, K-three, and Yoshi immediately followed, but Shinta didn’t move right away. He stared at his father with concern. “Dad?”

Leo sighed and squeezed his son’s shoulder. “Go on.” Shinta nodded, following after his cousins.

Raph frowned as he approached his brother. “You okay, bro?”

Leo’s gaze fell from Raph’s to the body on the grungy carpet. “I couldn’t risk him coming after her again.” He took in a shuddering breath. “I won’t risk Ona’s life, not like I did with…” His shoulders shook with the restraint of his emotions.

Raph took another step forward, taking his brother’s shoulders in his hands. “You did good, Leo. Nobody is gonna miss this piece of scum.” He turned him away from the fallen man towards the door. “Now, come on. We need to get Ona home.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

Sarah frowned at the interdimensional communicator. Something felt wrong. Their evening call was well over an hour late. Which was not just unusual but completely disconcerting. If Leo was anything, he was prompt. She checked the system again, making sure there was nothing wrong on her end and tried to trigger the signal once more. She let out a frustrated sigh as Mikey entered the room. He frowned. “They still aren’t picking up?”

She rubbed her eyes. “No and I’m starting to get worried.”

He sat in the chair beside her. “Do you think something’s wrong? I mean, is Mira upset or anything?”

Sarah shook her head. “I can’t feel her across dimensions. But you know how Leo is.”

Mikey’s frown deepened. “Yeah, I know.”

At that moment, the light flickered registering an incoming signal and they both let out a relieved breath. Sarah quickly hit the channel open button. “Leo! Thank goodness! We were starting to…” She frowned at his appearance. “What’s wrong?”

On the screen, Leo let out a heavy sigh. “Is Mikey with you?”

Sarah turned the portable unit so Leo could see his brother more directly. “I’m right here.” Mikey could tell right away that Leo was upset, but hiding it like he always did.

Thankfully for Mikey, Leo was never one to mix words. He got straight to the point. “First, let me say that both Kaz and Ona are fine, but we did have an incident earlier this evening.”

Mikey’s brow furrowed. “Ona’s stepfather?”

“Yes, he caught Ona alone away from the lair. She left without telling anyone. Luckily Jamie saw her leave and Mira tracked her down.”

“But she’s okay?” Mikey began to fidget with nervous energy. Beside him, Sarah had gone pale. She pressed a hand to her mouth.

“Yes.” Leo reassured him. “We got there just in time. And don’t worry, we won’t ever have to deal with him again.”

“Where’s Kaz?”

Mikey and Sarah looked up to see Kala standing in the door, slight panic in her eyes.

“Babe, you should really be resting.” Mikey admonished softly.

Kala gave a small cough as she moved forward to lean over Mikey’s shoulder. “Leo, where’s Kaz?”

Leo’s expression dropped slightly. “He’s with Ona. She was pretty shaken up. But I promise he’s fine. They both are.”

Mikey frowned up at his wife as she began to shake. Sarah stood and wrapped her arms around her sister-in-law. “Come on, Kala. Let me help you upstairs.”

Mikey stared after them forlornly as they disappeared up the staircase. Leo’s voice drew his attention back to the monitor. “How are things there?”

Leo watched his exhausted little brother shake his head. “I don’t honestly know Leo. Don’s been working with this doctor-dude day and night. But if they’ve found anything to help her, he hasn’t said. Takin’ the fluid out helped a little and Don’s breathing machine has helped a little.” He shook his head again, closing his eyes and resting his face in one hand. “But Leo, I don’t think it’s helping enough. There are times at night, I’m afraid she’s gonna stop breathing altogether.”

Leo could see that Mikey had barely slept in the past few weeks and this news about his son and daughter-in-law was only serving to stress him more. It didn’t matter that Leo had tried to assuage his worry, it would still be there until he laid eyes on Kaz. Which probably wouldn’t be until the next day. Leo sighed. “If there is a way to help her, you know Donnie will find it.”

Mikey gave a small nod. “I’ll talk to you guys tomorrow. Tell Kaz and Ona we love them.”

“I will. Goodnight, Mikey. Stay safe and try to get some rest.”

Normally Mikey would have retorted with something snappy like, “That’s the first time you’ve ever told me to sleep.” But he just didn’t have it in him. Instead, he nodded. “Nigh, bro.” He cut the connection and turned off the unit, then slowly made his way up the steps to the shared bedroom.

Kala was lying on their bed with the breathing mask on, while Sarah sat on the edge gently rubbing circles on her back. Sarah stood as he entered and hugged him. He let out a heavy sigh as he returned the embrace. She said nothing, but the gesture was more than enough. She left the room and Mikey climbed into the small bed behind his slender wife. As he draped his arm around her waist, her hands came up to clutch his. “They’re safe. Leo won’t let anything happen to them.” He nuzzled against her neck. “And we’ll be going home soon. That doc and Donnie are going to make you all better real soon. You’ll see.” He pulled his hand gently from hers to wipe away the tear that trickled down her cheek. “Everything’s going to be alright.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

Leo frowned as the screen darkened. He’d known Mikey would take the news hard and he had. It had to be hard being separated from his son for so long. Leo had never had to experience such a long separation from his child. The trip he’d taken with Jamie had barely lasted a week, even so that had been hard on him. Standing, he rolled his shoulders. It was likely he and Raph were going to be sore in the morning even though they hadn’t had to do much of the fighting per say. Getting older certainly had it drawbacks.

He made his way slowly up the stairs and onto the top floor. Pausing beside Shinta’s door, he cracked it open just a bit. Inside, he could see his teenage son sprawled across his bed, a pillow tucked under him. Shinta’s gear lay in a disorderly pile beside his bed, likely the place he’d dropped it before crawling in. They were all tired. It had been a stressful evening to say the least.

Leo sighed as he closed the door. He’d forgo practice in the morning. No one would be up for it anyway. Stepping across the hall, he opened the door to his own bedroom.

Jamie sat in the large arm chair near the window, strumming absently at her guitar. She watched her husband enter the room with his head down and shoulders slumped. Frowning, she set aside her instrument to approach him as he sat on the side of their bed. He didn’t seem to notice her sit beside him as he meticulously removed his gear.

“You’re second guessing yourself.”

He didn’t look up at her and her frown intensified. Leo was good at hiding his emotions, but there were things that only a wife would know - the slight twitch of a muscle, the near imperceptible change in his breathing, the intensity with which he removed his elbow pad. All these things meant she was right.

“Why?”

His shoulders slumped a millimeter more. “Because every life is precious.”

She cupped the side of his face, making him look at her. The sorrow in his gaze made her heart ache. “Leo your instincts are rarely wrong. I’m sure it’s one of the reasons Splinter left you as head of this family. You need to trust them.”

He frowned. “But a life is still a life.”

She frowned as well, understating the pain that killing even that wicked man had caused him. “I know.” She took his hands. “But tell me something, what did your instincts tell you about this man?”

Leo’s eyes narrowed as the image of Wikoli Hale appeared in his mind. “He was obsessed with Ona. He’d already waited two weeks to get his hands on her. He would have likely waited longer.”

“And if you’d let him live and turned him over to the authorities?”

“He would have come back. And he would have put us all in danger, not just Ona.” He stared at his wife. She’d made him admit his reasoning out loud. And in all truth it was a good reason, but it didn’t change the fact he’d killed a man that had no chance against the ninja master. He let out a heavy breath and leaned forward to bury his face in her shoulder and neck.

Jamie’s arms immediately encompassed him. She stroked the back of his head gently. “Some decisions are unfair to everyone. Sometimes the only choices we have are to choose between the lesser of two evils. You protected your family tonight, Leonardo, just like you always do. No one will dispute that decision.”

“I know.” He murmured softly against her neck. It was his burden to bear, no matter how heavy it might be. And for his family, he would carry it a thousand times over.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

Every time Kaz shifted, Ona’s grip would tighten on him. It worried him deeply that she was still so scared. He’d done everything he could to make her feel safe and comfortable, but still her small form trembled in his arms. He tried to lean away again, so he could see her face which was buried in his chest. “Do you want some water?”

“No!” She clutched at him. “Don’t leave me!”

Kaz felt his heart break and drew her tight against him. “Hush now, you know I’m not going anywhere.”

She sobbed softly. “I was so scared, Kazzey. I thought he was going to… All I wanted was you.” She chocked on another sob before continuing. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you I was leaving.”

He nuzzled down as close to her ear as he could get. “You don’t need to be sorry, babe. I’m just glad we found you. I was terrified he was gonna hurt you again.”

Ona clenched her eyes shut as the moments before her rescue rushed back to her. Wikoli had pulled off his belt and climbed on top of her, pinning her even more to the bed. He’d just ripped her shirt when they’d heard footsteps running up the hall. Her heart had sailed towards the moon, because she knew who it was. Her captor had dove behind the bed just as the door came flying open. The sight of Kaz’s horrified expression was still etched into her mind. Dozens of emotions had flickered through his eyes in that split-second and Ona could have named every one.

Now as she lay wrapped in his powerful arms, listening to his steady heartbeat, she was slowly beginning to relax. It would take time. That didn’t bother her as long as he was by her side. “I love you, Kazzey.”

His arms tightened around her. “I love you too. You’re my universe, babe. I’d do anything for you.” As he lay there, his small wife still shaking in his arms and the terrible thoughts of what could have happened to her dancing through his head, he realized he would in fact _do anything_ for her.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

The sound of the bedroom door opening woke Mikey, though he wasn’t sure he’d really been asleep. It was more likely he’d been laying there listening to the rattle in Kala’s chest. He cracked open his eyes just a little to see the shape of his brother enter the room. He realized with a bit of surprise that it was much earlier than it normally was when Donnie returned.

He watched as his brother moved silently across the room to the small silhouette in the window. Sarah turned to him and Mikey saw the glisten of tears on her cheeks even in the dimness. Donatello gently brushed them away with a frown, then kissed her softly. Her shadow collapsed into his and there was a soft whimper. Don just held her tighter. He stepped back taking her by the hand and leading her back to the bed. He laid down and pulled her down on top of him. She curled into his plastron like he was the most comfortable mattress in all the multi-verse.

Mikey watched all this with a growing sorrow in his heart. What would it be like to know you would never have to live without the one you loved the most? Would you still cherish every moment? Would you feel relief from knowing that you would never be separated? These questions only made the pain in his heart hurt worse. There was no point in pondering such questions. He didn’t have that option. Beside him, the love of his life was dying before his very eyes. He could see it in her gaze. He could feel it in her body. They’d been together a long time, but still he felt it wasn’t long enough. Time was slipping away.


	13. Acceptance

It had been nearly two weeks since the incident with Wikoli Hale and Ona had rarely let Kaz out of her sight in that time. But she was recovering, be it slowly. She seemed comfortable enough in the lair, but had refused to go out to the garage yet. Sarah had told her nephew to be patient, that it would take time for the trauma to wear off and for Ona to trust people again. She knew just how hard it was from personal experience.

One afternoon, Kaz slipped up the lab to find Mira half buried under one of the larger machines. “Yo, Mira!”

There was a thunk from beneath the machine. “Ow! Kaz don’t do that!”

He snickered. “You’re gettin’ sloppy. I shouldn’t have been able to sneak up on you that easily. Imagine the lecture you would’ve got, if I’d been Uncle Leo.”

She crawled out and glared at him as she stood. “I was distracted. What do you need anyways?” Her gaze shot towards the door, obviously expecting Ona to be not far behind. “Is anything wrong?”

He shook his head. “No. Ona asked me for something a while back. At the time, I didn’t see a point in it. But now I do. I guess I understand more of where she was coming from now.”

Curious, Mira wiped her hands on a shop towel and moved to sit beside her cousin on one of the cots. “Oh, what did she ask you for?”

“She wants a baby.”

“Oh.” Mira frowned. “And you don’t.”

He shrugged. “Well, I didn’t – at least not right now. But after what happened…”

Mira’s frown deepened a fraction. “It’s never wise to make decisions based on traumatic events.”

“That’s just it,” he lifted his head to meet her eyes, “I’m not. I realize I do want a child as much as she does. Do you think you could do it for us? I mean, without Uncle Don here and all?”

She smiled. “You bet I can.” Her smile turned into a smirk as she lifted one large finger. “But…”

He frowned. “But what?”

“You’re going to have to babysit tonight.”

He blinked. “Huh?”

Her smile broadened to cover her face. “You don’t think Kane would actually let me go get a turtle egg by myself, do you?”

Kaz laughed, his gaze brighter than she’d seen it in days. “Deal.” He stood giving his petite cousin a hug. “Thanks, Mira.”

She returned the rare embrace. “There’s no need.” Her smile was soft as he released her and stepped back. “Now go get her. The sooner I have your blood samples, the sooner you’ll have your baby.”

Kaz grinned. “I’ll be right back!”

Mira giggled as he practically bounded out of the room. She gazed about the lab, her eyes finally falling on an object in the corner covered in an old sheet. A moment later she was pulling the cover off. “Well, Dad, I guess it really does help to be prepared.” She ran her fingers over the temperature control panel of the new incubator her father had insisted they build not long after moving into the new lair. She sighed softly. _I miss you._

She moved to wash her hands as footsteps came up the hall. A moment later, Kaz came in dragging Ona behind him. Ona just stood there blinking with a very confused expression, while Kaz looked like the proverbial cat that ate the canary. Mira smiled as she pulled two syringes from a drawer.

Ona shifted a little. “Kaz said you needed to see me?”

“Yes, I need to draw a little of your blood.” She approached the couple and set the two syringes on the small medical tray near the cot.

“My blood?” She looked up at Kaz, understanding finally dawning. “But… But I thought…”

He cupped her cheek. “I changed my mind. I want this. Look, I can’t give you everything I want to. But I can give you this.” He smiled. “Babe, I love you and doing this is just another way I can show you how much.”

Tears sparkled in Ona’s eyes a moment before she threw herself into her turtle’s arms. “Oh, Kaz. You’re such a sweet talker.”

He chuckled softly as she stepped back to grin up at him. Then he turned to his petite cousin. “Let’s do this.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

**One Week Later**

Sarah stood on the small back porch twirling the silver ring on her finger. Donnie was headed back to their temporary home. She frowned, feeling the jumble of emotions from him. There was relief and frustration, victory and failure, and an overall sadness. She’d been trying to decipher their meaning for some time, but had yet to understand them. He was very close now and she let out a heavy breath, allowing her mind to wander home. She missed their family. She wanted to see their daughter and hold their grandson. She missed the hustle and bustle of the large clan. Dyna had been an extremely kind host, but the fact was they’d been away from home far too long.

A pair of strong arms wrapped around her and she melted into the firm plastron. “I’m sorry, I know this has been hard on you.” His breath was warm against her cheek and she clutched at the arms wrapped around her.

“I’m just a little homesick I think.” Letting out another sigh, her fingers ran lightly over his arm in a gentle caress. “And I miss you.”

It was Donnie’s turn to sigh. “Me too.” He dipped his head to kiss the crook of her neck, nuzzling her and taking in a deep lungful of her scent. The tension in his own muscles finally began to relax with his wife held snuggly in his arms.

“Tell me.” She stroked a hand up and down his arm.

“Dr. Trill and I have managed to find a compound that will eliminate the infection.”

Sarah shivered as his large mouth again pressed against her skin. Slowly she turned to face him, already connecting the dots. “But you have no way to reverse the damage.”

Don shook his head slightly. “They’ve never developed the skill of transplants. And with the significant scar tissue….” He closed his eyes and she could feel the pain his words caused him. “I was only able to get the simulator to give her six months.” She frowned, stroking his cheek and letting out a shuddering breath. Their bond hummed with the feeling of helplessness.

There was a soft gasp behind them and they both turned to see Mikey standing in the door. His eyes were wide with terror. Sarah took a step towards him. “Mikey…”

He took a step in retreat, shaking his head. “No. You’re wrong.” He didn’t dare meet his brother’s gaze. “You have to be.” He turned and rushed off through the house.

Don hurried after him. “Mikey, wait!” He and Sarah didn’t catch up to him until they’d reached their shared bedroom. “Mikey, please, let me explain.”

The younger brother paced back and forth across the room. “You’re wrong! That’s all there is to it!”

Kala stood from the bedside and took a step towards him. “Mikey? What’s going on?” She looked towards Don with confusion in her gaze. What could have upset Mikey so much?

Don stared at her, fighting the lump that was growing in his throat. “I…I don’t think…”

Mikey frowned, his fear turning into anger. “Tell her what you said downstairs. She has a right to know.”

Sarah looked between the two brothers, knowing their heartache. She stepped around Don and took Kala’s hand, leading her back to the bed to sit together. “Dr. Trill and Donnie have come up with a cure for the pneumonia.”

Kala blinked, even more confused now. “But isn’t that a good thing?”

Don nodded. “Yes, it is. We were able to use a combination of Earth and Neutrino medicines that should clear it up.”

“No.” Mikey glared. “Tell her what you said about the simulator.”

Sarah squeezed Kala’s hands. “Do you remember what I said back home about the scar tissue?” Kala nodded. “And how normally there would be a lung transplant?” Kala nodded again.

Don took a step towards them. “They can’t do that here. Or at least they’ve never tried? We could try, but with there being so many different blood types in your people the risk of rejection would be extremely high.”

“Donnie!” Mikey growled.

The older brother sighed. “I’ve run the simulations thousands of times now, but since there is no way to repair the damage done… It says you only have six months max.” He looked away, swallowing hard. Sarah released Kala’s hands to go to him.

“So, you’re just gonna give up! Just like that!” Mikey felt like his heart was breaking and he was about to explode all at once.

Don’s head shot up. “No, Mike! I’d never do that! We will keep trying to find a solution as long as it takes.” He frowned. “But we’ve already been here more than a month and I can’t guarantee we will find something in time.”

“But I’ve been feeling a lot better lately.” Kala protested.

“That’s not totally unexpected. This is your home world after all. The climate here is exactly what your body was built for. Plus, with the oxygen pump and the thoracentesis you should be feeling some relief. But it’s only a temporary solution.”

“Then we’ll just stay here, if Neutrino is better for her.” Mikey said firmly.

Don shook his head. “Mikey, this is still a warzone. It isn’t safe to stay here.”

“Okay, then maybe we can go somewhere back home that’s dry like Neutrino, maybe Arizona or New Mexico or…” He wasn’t willing to just give up. There had to be a way to help her even if it was such a small thing.

“No, Mikey.” Kala took his hand, making him look down at her. “I just want to go home.”

He frowned, kneeling down in front of her. “But babe…”

She shook her head. “Please, Mikey. I want to see Kaz and Ona and everyone else. I’m homesick. Just take me home.”

He held her pale blue eyes for a moment. Swallowing hard, he nodded. His voice shook when he spoke again. “Okay. If that’s what makes you happy, then we’ll go home.”

“It is.” She leaned forward, pressing her brow to his. A tear escaped the corner of his eye, rolling down his cheek to land on the wood floor.

Sarah turned away from them burying her face in Don’s chest. He clutched her tightly, shutting his own eyes against the painful scene before him. He knew how Mikey felt. It felt like they were giving up. But they’d been there for weeks and nothing he nor Dr. Trill had come up with had worked. It was time to face reality and death, unfortunately, was a part of that reality. “Let’s pack up then. I’ll contact Mira to open the portal.”

Kala sat back and took in a shuddering breath. “I want to do something before we leave.” She stroked Mikey’s cheek. “Will you take me somewhere?”

He nodded. “Anywhere you want, babe.”

Don frowned. “Where are you going? Do you want us to come as well?”

Kala shook her head. “No, just Mikey.” She let out a soft sigh. “I want to visit my parents. I want to see them before I go. It might be my last chance.” A gentle smile crossed her lips. “I want them to see what a wonderful person I married and what a wonderful life he’s given me.”

Mikey took in a sharp breath. “Please don’t talk like that. Donnie could be wrong.”

She frowned. “Mikey...”

“It’s true! He could be! He’s been wrong before.” He squeezed her hands. “You could have a long life ahead of you…with me.”

Both Sarah and Don frowned. Mikey was in denial. It was obvious he wasn’t going to accept the facts easily, even if they were staring him literally in the face.

Kala merely smiled warmly. “Okay, but I’d still like to see them before we go home.”

He nodded, slowly standing. “Is it far? Do we need Dask to drive us?”

She stood as well. “No, it’s only a little ways. And I think I’d like to walk it.” Mikey offered her his hand as they headed down the stairs.

Donatello looked down at his wife, feeling the prickle of tears in his eyes. She cupped his cheek and allowed the torrent of his emotions to flood over her. Taking in a deep breath, she rested her head against his chest. “I know…I know.”


	14. To Hope, To Wish

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tear jerker warning! Find that box of tissue before you start.

Mikey frowned as they walked up to the tiny building. He wasn’t sure what it was doing this far from the center of the capitol. He hadn’t even realized it was a building until they were mere feet from it. Like Dyna’s home it seemed to be camouflaged to look like the surrounding terrain of dirt and rocks. The only thing that showed it to be some kind of structure was the door. Kala touched the symbol carved into the door’s face reverently before opening it. When she did, he felt the blast of cold air from inside. Before them were stairs, leading down into darkness.

He paused. “I hope this isn’t where Dracula shows up.”

Kala couldn’t help the small chuckle as she took his hand. “Nope, no Dracula.” She started to pull him down the steps.

He followed, keeping an eye on her as they descended. “What about mummies?”

“Mikey…”

“What? There’re always mummies in dark underground places.”

Kala shook her head. She knew he was only trying to lighten the mood and not think about what they’d been told less than an hour ago. Instead of letting him ramble, she began to explain. “We learned a long time ago not to keep memorials on the surface. So, instead of cemeteries like they have on Earth, we use catacombs. They’re buried deep enough that even if there is an attack on the surface, these places are still safe.”

At the mention of how deep they were, Mikey glanced back up the staircase. They were already at least fifty feet from the surface. It was easy enough to go down, but he had a feeling Kala wasn’t going to be able to make the climb back out. He’d need to carry her back to the surface, so she wouldn’t aggravate her condition. He frowned as they finally came to level ground again. Here there was more light and a cool breeze seemed to flow through the place. Several tunnels split off from the entrance. As Kala started down one, he hung close. A person could easily get lost in a place like this. Along the walls of the passage were tiny plaques bunched together in groups. He guessed they were clustered together in families. A few more turns and Kala finally stopped beside a wall. She ran her fingers across two plaques with names. “My mother and father.” He frowned, stepping close and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She sighed leaning into him. “I wish you could have met them.”

He kissed her brow. “Me too. That way I could tell them what an awesome daughter they have.”

Kala’s smile was weak. “It’s been so long. Sometimes it’s hard to remember them.”

Mikey sighed softly. He knew how she felt. Some days it was even a struggle for him to remember Master Splinter. But it had to be harder on her. She’d lost her parents long before they’d lost their father.

“I wish I could have brought Kaz here. I wish I could have shown him Neutrino. It is a part of his heritage.”

“We still can. There’s still plenty of time.” He wrapped his other arm around her waist.

She turned to him, her eyes full of sadness. “Oh, my sweet Michelangelo. I know this is hard for you to accept. But I know it’s true. You know it’s true too.”

“No.” He shook his head vehemently.

She caught his face and turned his gaze to hers. “You’ve never been able to lie to me, Mikey. You know our time together is short.”

Tears began to trickle down his cheeks. “Please, Kala, don’t…”

“I want to spend what time I have left with my family, giving them as much love as I can. But promise me one thing, one day you’ll bring him here. So, he can at least see Neutrino and see where his grandparents are buried.”

He swallowed hard, his whole body shuddering. His voice was a mere whisper in that dark underground place of death and decay. “I promise.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

When Mikey and Kala arrived back at Dyna’s they found Dr. Trill seated in the living room with Don, Sarah, Dask, Zak, and Dyna. The doctor stood as they entered and approached them. “Mrs. Hamato, I was told you’re leaving.”

Kala frowned. “Yes.”

His smile was soft. “I can understand why. I wish there was more I could do for you.”

Mikey frowned as well. “Me too, but I do want to thank you for all your help. I know you and Donnie have been working really hard.”

“Oh, don’t think I’m quitting. I’m going to continue to run simulations and even see if I can find her a match for a lung transplant.” He turned to gesture at Donnie. “Your brother has been kind enough to provide me with a great deal of resources related to transplants. If I am able to adapt the techniques to Neutrino physiology, it will be one of the first major medical breakthroughs we’ve had in the past century.” He placed a hand on Kala’s shoulder. “And if we can accomplish this fast enough and with enough accuracy, then it may be in time to save your life.”

“He’s promised to keep us up to date on his progress.” Don held an electronic tablet in his hands. “And we’ll continue to work together from home. We aren’t quitting, we’re just changing our tactics a little.”

Mikey gave a solemn nod. “I know you aren’t, bro. I’m sorry about earlier.”

Sarah sat up a little beside Don. “It’s understandable, Mikey. We all love our Kala very much.” She smiled weakly at the other girl.

Kala returned the weak smile, before turning back to Dr. Trill. “I don’t know how we can ever repay you for what you’ve done.”

It was the doctor’s turn to frown. “It has been my pleasure. If there is anything you need, just let me know.” He gave the others a nod. “I should let you go. I know you are anxious to get home.”

Don stood and offered his hand. “Thank you for bringing the supplies and the serum.”

Dr. Trill took his hand firmly. “It was no trouble. Keep me informed. It’s been refreshing working with a mind as brilliant as yours.”

Don smiled. “Like wise.”

Dr. Trill started for the door and Mikey followed. “I’ll walk you out.” They left the crowded living room for the small entryway.

Dr. Trill stopped just outside the door, his round face dropping into a sorrowful expression. “I’m sorry.”

Mikey frowned, trying to press down his disappointment and fear. “You did everything you could.”

The doctor shook his head. “I’m afraid it wasn’t enough though.” He shook Mikey’s hand as well. “Goodbye and good luck.”

Mikey merely nodded as the man walked away. Sighing, he returned to the living room to find everyone saying goodbye to Dyna. The old woman seemed truly sad to see them go. In the time they’d been there, no one had come to visit their elderly hostess. It was possible there wasn’t anyone around that would. But perhaps that would change. It seemed that she’d made some new friends with Dask and Zak. They each said their thankyous and farewells, then Don signaled Mira to open the portal.

Zak hugged Kala tightly. “I wish you didn’t have to go.” He took in a tight breath that choked in his throat. “I wish…things had turned out differently.”

She pecked his cheek and then wrapped her arms around Dask. He frowned. “Yeah, you’re like our little sis. We love you.”

She stepped back to meet his eyes and touched his cheek. “I know. I love you guys too.” Turning away from them, she swiped at her eyes and took Mikey’s hand.

Dask met his gaze over her head. “Take care of her.”

Mikey nodded. “You know I will.” And then they followed Don and Sarah into the portal. Stepping through the glowing doorway filled them with both a sense of failure and relief. Waiting in the lab was their large family, who immediately embraced them.

“Mom! Dad!” Mira rushed forward to hug her parents. “We missed you!”

Beside her, Kaz did much the same, wrapping his mother in strong arms. “Mom…” Mikey smiled at them and Kaz smiled back. “Hey, Dad.” He released his mother with one arm to give his father an embrace as well. “We’re glad you’re back.”

Mikey stepped back a hand still on his son’s shoulder. “We’re glad to be back too.” Kaz could tell his father was in no better state than he had been when they’d left for Neutrino all those weeks ago. It worried him for many reasons, but most of all for his mother. He knew that it meant they hadn’t found what they were looking for there.

Donnie cleared his throat getting everyone’s attention. “We have a lot to tell you. But I think it should wait until we’re settled in.”

Leo nodded. “I agree. Let’s meet in the living room in twenty minutes.”

As the room began to clear, Don caught Mike’s arm. “We should probably administer the serum after the meeting. The sooner she starts on it the better.”

Mikey gave an affirming nod, before turning back to his son. Kaz had picked up their duffle and slung it over his shoulder while Ona was hugging Kala. She grinned as she stepped back. “There’s something we want to show you!”

Kala raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

Ona nearly bounced with excitement. “Come on!”

Kaz chuckled as his wife dragged his mother from the room. He and Mikey trailed behind them. “Hey, you guys finished the elevator while we were gone.” Mikey ran a hand across the rod iron cage as they entered.

Kaz grinned. “Yeah, but that’s not what we wanted to show you.”

It was Mikey’s turn to raise an eye-ridge. He could tell his son was just as excited as Ona. They exited the elevator and started up the hall, but stopped when they reached Kaz and Ona’s bedroom. Opening the door, Ona flipped on the light and stepped aside so the others could see.

Kala’s mouth hung open as she took a few steps in, making sure her eyes were not deceiving her. She turned to stare at her son and daughter-in-law. “Is that…?” Ona nodded with bright eyes. Tears welled in Kala’s eyes to quickly spill over. She threw her arms around Kaz’s neck. “My baby is having a baby!”

Mikey smiled and for a brief moment he could feel the pressure in his chest lessen. He pulled Ona into an embrace. “I’m so happy for you, squirt.” She giggled as he ruffled her hair. Lifting his head he smiled at his son. “For both of you.” He couldn’t suppress the grin. “It’s about time.”

Kaz chuckled. “Says you.” Kala suddenly took in a choked breath, drawing their attention to her. He frowned, releasing his hold on her and stepping back to look down at her. “Mom, are you okay?”

Mikey’s frown was much deeper. He took Kala gently from his son, walking her up the hall to their bedroom. It had been several hours since she’d last used the oxygen pump. Kaz and Ona followed them and watched as Mikey took the pump from their duffle and plugged it into an outlet beside the bed. Kala slipped the mask on as he started the small unit. He squeezed her hand, exchanging a sad look with her.

“Dad?” Kaz took a few steps closer. “Why did you come home, if they hadn’t helped her yet?”

Mikey didn’t answer, instead dropping his gaze to the carpeted floor. Kala squeezed his hand harder, responding in his place, her voice muffled by the mask. “I wanted to come home.”

Kaz shook his head in disbelief. “But why? If you’re still sick. Why not stay until they helped? Wasn’t that the whole point of going to Neutrino?”

“They can’t help her.” Mikey’s tone was filled with bitterness.

Kala shook her head. “That’s not entirely true!” She began to cough and Mikey looked up at her with concern, moving to sit on the bed beside her and gently rub her back.

Kala’s appearance was really beginning to scare Ona. “What does she mean?”

Mikey frowned. “They were able to come up with a cure for the pneumonia. But…”

“But what?” Kaz took a few more steps towards them when his father didn’t answer right away. “Dad, tell me.”

Mikey finally lifted his head to meet his son’s troubled gaze. The heartache in his own gaze must have been thoroughly evident, because Kaz took in a sharp breath. “But the damage has already been done and they have no way to fix it.” Mikey bit his lip, but managed to push the rest out. “Donnie says she only has six months.”

Kaz turned a deathly shade of pale green, his eyes wide as he began to tremble. “No…” Mikey gave the slightest of nods and Kaz felt his knees buckled under him. He sank to the floor in front of his mother and wrapped his arms around her. For several moments, his body shook with silent sobs. “I love you, Mom.”

The tears Kala had so valiantly been fighting for the better part of the day broke free. “I love you too, honey.” She hugged him close. Mikey stroked his son’s shell. He’d known this was going to be hard on him. That’s why he’d dreaded telling him the truth.

Near the door, Ona stood with her hands pressed over her mouth and big tears rolling down her face. She stumbled forward to sit on the other side of Kala, who immediately wrapped an arm around the younger girl. “It’ll be okay.” But Kala’s words were tainted with her harsh breathing. Things were definitely not okay.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

K-three frowned as he watched Donnie set his and Sarah’s bags on their bed and begin to methodically sort their contents into piles. “You didn’t accomplish what you went for, did you?”

Don did not turn to look at his son-in-law, but his shoulders slumped confirming the Turtleoid’s suspicions. Mira stepped up beside her father and put a comforting hand on his arm. She already knew their reason for returning and she could feel it breaking her father’s heart. “I’m sure you did your best.”

“Yes, he did.” Sarah appeared from the hall with Katsu in her arms. The tot was overjoyed to see his grandparents and had been babbling nearly non-stop since their return.

Donnie let out a heavy sigh, not meeting anyone’s eyes. “But my best wasn’t good enough this time.”

Mira eyed the tablets with terabytes of data on them. “Could I take a look?”

Her father finally turned his gaze to meet hers, a small tendril of hope burning in his chest. “Yes, it certainly wouldn’t hurt. Your mind does work differently than mine. A fresh perspective may be just what we need.”

She hugged him. “We’ll figure it out. There’s still time.”

“Maybe.” Don exchanged a glance with Sarah, who frowned. She was pretty certain any idea Mira may come up with is one Donnie had already tried. And because of that she held her own hope in check. But like he’d said, it couldn’t hurt.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

Mira tossed the third of ten tablets on the bed with a growl. Each tablet was overflowing with data.  But so far none of it was giving her any hope. Maybe that was the most frustrating thing about this whole situation. Leo had said in their family meeting that hope was powerful. But right now she was having a difficult time finding any.

The meeting as expected had been somber and quiet. Everyone had left it with a knot in their chest. Kala had said she didn’t want to be treated any different than normal. But how could they not treat her differently? In the month she’d been gone her aunt looked like she’d lost another five pounds. And when Mira had hugged her, she’d felt cold to the touch. When she’d been home Kala had changed so subtly that they hadn’t noticed. But with her prolonged absence, those changes were blaring on the surface now. No one could deny the truth.

Mira could feel the grief in their household, particularly Kaz’s. He’d been uncharacteristically quiet during the meeting. She could feel his heartache even now. It tore at her soul and bit at her heart. She tried to press it away as she scrolled through the fourth tablet.

Suddenly a pair of large familiar hands wrapped around hers and took the device from her. She blinked up at K-three, trying to clear the dampness from her eyes. “You don’t have to look through all these tonight.” He brushed his thumb along her cheek, catching a wayward tear. He could sense her emotions tumbling one on top of another - fear, frustration, desperation, sadness and grief.

“I know. It’s just so...maddening! Do you know there are twenty-five Neutrino blood types! Twenty-five, Kane! They don’t even know how to do transplants and if they did, the risk of rejection is astronomical! And synthetic lungs are simply out of the question! There is no such thing on Neutrino! Bio-mechanical arms and legs are an everyday things there, but I guess if you get blasted in the chest you just die! What kind of logic is that!”

K-three cupped her face. “Hey, calm down. You’re upset. We all are. But no one in this family is expecting you to pull off a miracle.”

“But Kaz-“

K-three’s gaze softened. “I know. But things happen that we can’t control. I lost my own mother when I was younger than him. He’s going to hurt and it’s going to be for a long time.” He pulled her tight against him, effectively breaking Mira’s connection with her distraught cousin. “Let’s get some rest. You can look at these tomorrow. Maybe you’ll have a fresh perspective on it.”

She sighed, closing her eyes and allowing the brief reprieve from everyone’s emotions to wash over her. “Maybe.” There was still no true hope behind the word. But just maybe tomorrow she could find some.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&

Kaz sat on the side of his bed,  elbows on knees and face in hands. He wanted to punch something. He wanted to scream. He want to…cry. What else could he do after all? He wasn’t a doctor or even a genius like his uncle or Mira. He was just a turtle that had inherited his father’s wisecracking whit and playful attitude, and his mother’s caring heart.  Ona shifted beside him to slip one of her arms through his. “Kazzey, talk to me. I know you’re hurting.” He shuddered as her head came to rest on his shoulder. Her soft hand began to stroke his arm, the motion soothing.

He let out a heavy breath. “I just can’t imagine what it will be like…her being gone. “ He lifted his eyes to look at the incubator with the small egg nestled in the peat moss. “I keep thinking, what if she doesn’t get to see our baby? What if Uncle Don is wrong? What if it’s worse that what he thinks?” He shook his head before dropping it back into his hands. “And what about Dad? He loves her so much. Losing Mom could completely destroy him. I remember back when Aunt Amaya died, how Uncle Leo just fell apart. What if that happens to Dad?”

“It won’t.”

Kaz lifted his head to look at his wife. Her gaze held such certainty in it. “Why?”

“Because we won’t let it. We’ll be here for him.” She pressed a kiss to his cheek. “And I’ll be here for you.“

He turned pulling her into an embrace. “I’ll be here for you too, babe. I know this is just as hard on you, because she’s the only mom you remember.” Ona sucked in a sharp breath, trying to fight back the tears again. With his next words, she lost the fight. “And I know she loves you.”

Ona’s warm tears against his neck was almost enough to send Kaz reeling over the edge. Silent tears made their appearance on his cheeks. There were no more words to be said, their quiet tears were all that remained.


	15. Finding Normal

Yoshi paced back and forth across his bedroom, while Star sat on the end of his bed with a bemused expression. It had been two weeks since the others had returned home from Neutrino. To say the stress level in the lair was at max was a drastic understatement. No one spoke much, except in low tones. And although Kala had asked they not treat her differently, everyone was walking on eggshells around her. Something had to give. There had to be some semblance of normalcy returned to their home.

“Are you sure you want to do this now?”

Yoshi glanced up at Star and for an instant his nerve wavered. Then he set his jaw. “Yes.”

She frowned. “But-“

“I know! Aunt Kala is sick! But that’s the exact reason we should do this now. It will take some of the attention off her and make her feel…,” he waved a hand in the air for the lack of a better expression, “normal. Plus, I want her here to see us get married.”

Star stood and stepped close to him. Her smile was gentle as she ran her hands down his arms. “Okay, then let’s go.”

He gave a determined nod. “We’ve waited long enough.” He smirked. “I’ve made you wait long enough.”

Her smile broadened as she slipped her arms around his neck. “I’ve told you already. I’ll always be here waiting for you.”

He grinned as he dipped his head to capture her mouth in a crushing kiss. “Come on.” He took her hand and led her down the stairs to the kitchen, where he knew his parents were on dish duty.

They entered the large kitchen to find it a little more crowded than they’d expected. At the center island sat Leo, Jamie and Don each with a mug in hand. Sarah meanwhile stood on the opposite side, preparing what appeared to be some type of desert for the next day. At the sink, washing and drying were Cat and Raph. No one was speaking, all deep in their own thoughts. But it seemed the brothers were drawing comfort from each other’s presence.

Yoshi stopped in the doorway, reluctant to disturb that comfort. Star’s grip tightened on his hand and he finally cleared his throat. “Um, there’s somethin’ I – we – want to tell you guys.” Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing to turn and look at the couple. Yoshi felt his palms begin to sweat and rubbed the back of his head with his free hand. “We, uh, wanna get married.”

No one in the room seemed particularly surprised by this news.  Cat cocked an eyebrow at Star. “You’re sure you’re ready?”

Star nodded with a smile. “Yes.”

Raph began to chuckle. “Took you damn long enough.”

Yoshi blinked. “What?”

Raph’s chuckle increased. “I knew that first day you introduced her to us. Figured it’d be sooner than this though.”

“Cut the kid a break, Raph. It took Kaz two years.” Leo took a sip of his tea with a small smile.

Donnie suddenly snapped his fingers. “Hey, doesn’t this mean I win?” His face lit up and Sarah snickered. “Yeah, it’s been less than a year. I do win!”

“No, you don’t!” Raph folded his arms.

“Yes! Yes, I do!” Don began to laugh. “You said six months, Leo said a year and a half, and Mikey said a year. I said ten to twelve months tops!”

Leo’s small smile turned into a grin. “He’s got you there, bro.”

Raph snorted. “Whatever, it still don’t count!”

It was Cat’s turn to chuckle. “You might as well bite the bullet and accept defeat, tough guy. I don’t think you’re getting out of this one.”

Yoshi and Star exchanged a look. His brow furrowed. “Wait a minute! You guys were betting on us!”

“Yep! And I just won a week of control of the TV!” Donnie continued to grin broadly.

“Aw, come on, Don. There was a game I wanted to watch this weekend.” Raph groused.

Don smirked. “Sorry, bro. No take backs. Right, Leo?”

 Leo chuckled. “No take backs.”

Don continued to tease his irritated brother. “Maybe April would let you watch it on her TV.” Raph snorted and Don grinned at his spouse. “What do you want to watch, love?”

She smiled back. “Ooh, I think a Star Trek marathon is in order!”

“First old, then new?”

“Definitely!”

Jamie grinned. “That sounds fun!” Beside her Leo smiled, but refrained from comment.

Raph rolled his eyes. “Uhg, somebody put me out of my misery.”

“Uh, so what about us?” Yoshi asked.

“When do you want to do the ceremony?” Leo took another drink of his tea.

Star glanced up at Yoshi. “We were hoping soon.”

Leo glanced at the calendar on the wall. “How about tomorrow?”

The couple shrugged and Star leaned into Yoshi. “That sounds good to me.”

Sarah suddenly stopped stirring the bowl in front of her and turned to look at them. “What were you planning on wearing?”

Star looked down at herself. “Just my regular clothes.”

Cat eyed Sarah. “Don’t get any bright ideas. She can wear whatever she wants.”

“Just because you did the wedding ceremony in jeans and a t-shirt, doesn’t mean she has to.” Sarah pointed out.

Cat put her hands on her hips. “Hey!”

Jamie ignored her protest. She was already taken by the idea. “Yes! We could go shopping!”

Cat turned to Star and waved her hands. “Don’t do it! They’ll make you wear a dress and girlify you!”

Sarah was also ignoring them now as she turned to Jamie. “Mira and Ona will want to come too!” She turned to Don. “You can watch Katsu for a few hours tomorrow, can’t you?”

Star frowned looking from Cat’s slightly frantic expression to the others, who were already planning her wedding for her. “I don’t think-“

“Sure.” Don agreed readily.

“We can do a bit of rearranging while you’re gone too, so we can have a proper ceremony.” Leo interjected.

“Mikey and April could decorate.” Sarah continued. “Kala too, if she’s feeling okay.”

Star could see this was looking like it might get out of control. They’d gone from a simple wedding ceremony like Yoshi had described to decorating and rearrange furniture and going dress shopping. She waved her own hands in the air this time. “Wait!” Everyone looked at her with curiosity. For the first time in weeks, Star didn’t see sadness in their eyes. Yoshi had been right. His family needed this as a distraction and even a bit of normalcy. She sighed inwardly. She had to give them this. “I am not wearing one of those princess looking things.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*&

Kaz slumped further into his chair. How had he been talked into this? That’s right, he’d volunteered! What had he been thinking! _Ugh! I didn’t realize there were so many wedding dresses on the planet!_ He let out an audible groan as Star appeared in yet another dress.

Beside him, Ona elbowed him. “Kaz!” She half hissed.

He rolled his eyes. “What! This is like number ten or eleven already!” He folded his arms with a huff. “Believe me, Yoshi don’t care what she’s wearing as long as he can take it off – fast.” He muttered.

On his other side Cat snorted. “Kaz!” She couldn’t exactly argue with him though. Her own wedding night had ended in quite a bit of damaged clothing. She glanced at Star. “She better get something cheap.”

Star sighed as she looked at herself in the three mirrors surrounding her. She hadn’t been into this to begin with and now she was bored out of her mind. They all looked the same to her and she was really beginning to long for her jeans and t-shirt. She met Cat’s gaze in the mirror and gave her a pleading look. The older woman just put her hands up in defeat. Star could almost hear her say, “I told you so.”

Star let out another sigh as Sarah, Jamie, and Mira circled her, each giving commentary on the current dress.

“It’s too short.”

“No, it’s too long.”

“It doesn’t sit right on her shoulders.”

“Stop messing with the straps, Mira! They’re fine!”

“Maybe she needs heels.”

“Oh or boots!”

Jamie snapped her fingers. “We forgot all about a veil!”

Ona giggled as Star’s face scrunched in the mirror’s reflection. “I’m so glad we got married at the farmhouse. I think I got off easy.”

Cat snickered. “It’s a hundred times worse when April’s with them.”

“That’s it!” Star snapped suddenly. “Enough! I’ll pick what I’ll wear! And that’s that!” Everyone stared as she stormed off the little platform into the retail part of the store. Several minutes later she returned with a red strapless dress that looked two sizes too small for her.

Jamie’s eyes widened. “You’re not serious, are you?”

Sarah tilted her head. “But it’s a bride’s maid dress.”

“And it’s not white or even off-white.” Mira pointed out.

Star’s hopeful expression dropped and Cat half growled as she got up. She’d had enough of this. “Alright, that’s it.” She stepped around the others to put an arm around Star’s shoulders. “She can wear whatever she wants. It’s her ceremony, not yours.” She gave the others a hard glare, that elicited several muttered apologies. “As a matter of fact,” she turned her gaze on her soon-to-be daughter-in-law, “you don’t even have to buy anything.” Star’s expression brightened and she hugged Cat. It was really nice to finally have someone take up for her.

“Star?” The group turned to find a young brunette standing behind them. The girl grinned. “It is you! I haven’t seen you around in a long time! You seemed to just drop off the face of the Earth!”

“Amber!” Star released Cat to embrace her old friend. “It’s so good to see you!”

Amber stepped back to look at Star in the wedding dress. “I saw you through the window. Are you getting married?”

Star couldn’t help the broad grin. “Yes.”

Amber looked hurt. “And you didn’t invite me?”

“Well, uh, it’s a private ceremony.”

Amber glanced past her at the seven people inside the dressing area. “Doesn’t seem all that private to me.”

“Oh, this is my fiancé’s family.” She smiled at Cat over her shoulder. “My family.”

A smile crept across Amber’s face. “I’m happy for you. Well, will I get to meet the lucky guy eventually?”

“You already kind of did. He’s the guy from the arcade.”

Amber raised a brow. “The big guy you were flirting with.” Star nodded and Amber smirked. “Whoa, he was a hottie!”

Behind them Kaz busted out laughing. Amber glanced over her friend’s shoulder at him. Mira waved a hand at her. “Just ignore him, the rest of us do.”

“Hey!” Kaz protested.

Amber chuckled. “Well, I’ve got to go. But you call me so I can meet the guy in person.”

Star waved after her. “I will.”

Jamie glanced at her watch. “It’s almost time to go. What do you want to do Star? It is really your decision. We just got carried away.”

Star looked down at the dress she was wearing, then the one in her hand, and lastly to the dressing room that still had her street clothes in it. She gave a determined nod as she made her decision.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&

April rolled her eyes while Kala giggled at Mikey’s antics. He was being particularly silly today. He’d volunteered to make celebration pizzas, but apparently his other job at the moment was making Kala laugh. She sat at the kitchen island as he danced back and forth tossing the pizza dough high into the air. The catching of the dough, however, was proving to be very entertaining. Half of it ended up on his head while the others came out just perfect. Kala knew he was pretending to mess up the ones that landed on him, which only made her smile more. He had been doing his best to keep her spirits up. And it just made her love him more.

April watched the couple with amusement. The more Kala laughed the brighter Mikey’s eyes became and the more he played around. She couldn’t help but laugh as well. It was good to see them both happy and relaxed for a change. Things had been so tense around there lately that this wedding ceremony seemed to be timed just right.

In the next room, the others were readying the dojo. A small table had been brought in and on it Leo set the three saké cups. He had performed several of these ceremonies now and he recalled each with fondness. Mira had been a very calm bride, while Kaz had been excitable, and Yoshi as it turned out was a nervous pacer. Glancing towards the back of the room, he could see his nephew cross the room turn and re-cross it.

Raph chuckled as he set the candles beside the saké cups. “I think he’s gonna wear a hole in the mats.”

Leo chuckled as well. “I seem to remember Cat telling me you did something similar before you gave your sudden announcement.”

Raph snorted, but his eyes danced with the memory. “Nah, I was cool, bro.”

“Sure you were, tough guy.”

Raph nearly jumped. He spun to find Cat right behind him. He hadn’t heard her come in. She grinned up at him. He smirked. “Yeah, though I didn’t mind the lesson that followed.”

She laughed, then leaned up to kiss him softly. “Later.” It was Raph’s turn to grin as she strolled away from him towards Yoshi. He smiled as he watched his wife try to calm down their anxious son.

Leo placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “He’ll be fine as long as he doesn’t throw up.” Raph laughed as the others began to file into the room, taking their seats in the rows of cushions that lined the floor. It wasn’t long before everyone, except Star was present.

Cat had managed to calm Yoshi down somewhat. He was now waiting just outside the dojo doors, wondering what was taking Star so long. Footsteps behind him made him turn. His mouth hung open. How was it possible for someone to look so incredible? Star smiled at him and his skin felt like it caught fire.

She was dressed in a tight red strapless dress that made her pale skin glow. Her short hair was pulled back with a metal clip that resembled a rose. Knee-high black leather boots adorned her feet and legs. Yoshi’s pulse soared as she approached him. The pale blue of her eyes held the same challenge they had the day they’d met. “What’s the matter, big guy?” Her smirk made him shiver all over. But when she placed her hand lightly on his plastron, he thought he was going to go insane. Every nerve ending in his body was firing off all at once. It was like a fireworks show going on inside him.

Yoshi licked his lips, trying desperately to remember what he was supposed to be doing. The box in his hand was the only thing that brought him back to his senses. Working his mouth a few more times, he finally managed words. “You are so beautiful.”

A sudden pink blush tinted her cheeks, making him catch his breath. “Should we go inside?”

He nodded, words now completely lost to him. Taking her hand they stepped through the door into their new future.


	16. Hello and Goodbye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find that box of tissue before you start! No seriously go find it! Okay, ready? T_T I'M NOT!!!

Ona knocked at the bedroom door and Kala opened it. “Could I talk to you?”

Kala smiled warmly. “Of course.” She turned and crossed back to the bed, turning off the oxygen pump which she’d been using. Ona closed the door and went to sit beside her. She frowned down at her hands, until Kala touched her arm. She’d seen her serious expression. “What is it, honey?”

Ona looked up at her hesitantly. “Do you think…. Will I be a good mother?”

Kala frowned. “Huh? Of course you will! What brought this on?”

Ona shrugged looking down at her hands again. “After what happened with my step-father… I don’t know, I’m scared I could really mess things up. I mean I don’t even remember being a kid or my parents or my mother.” She looked up again. “You’re the only mom I can remember having.”

Kala sighed. “You can’t base what you’ll be like as a parent necessarily on your own parents.” She sighed softly. “My parents were great people, but I’ve made plenty of mistakes.” She closed her eyes as an old wound reopened deep inside her. “Has Kaz ever told you, I was pregnant before he came along?”

Ona blinked in surprise. “No.”

“Before Mikey and I married, I was with a Neutrino. I became pregnant, but I lost it at three months. Not because the baby wasn’t strong enough. It was because I wasn’t strong enough to leave a violent partner.” She shuddered. “He beat me until I lost my child.”

Ona looked down right horrified. “That’s terrible!”

“It was a very hard time in my life. And it’s not a story I like to tell often. It’s still a sore spot for Mikey too. The point is that we all make our own choices – good and bad. We can’t blame it all on who our parents are or what’s been done to us. We have to take responsibility for our own actions. And when we make mistakes, we have to learn from them and try to do better from that point on.” Kala brushed Ona’s hair behind her ear in a loving gesture. “So, it doesn’t matter who your mom or dad were. It matters who you are right here, right now. And I for one know you are going to be a wonderful loving mother.”

Ona smiled and hugged her. “I love you, Mom.”

“I love you too, sweetheart.” Kala couldn’t help the broad smile. Then her gaze fell on the object in Ona’s hand. “Is that the locket? What’s in it?”

Ona sat back to look at the necklace. “I don’t know. I’ve been afraid to open it.”

Kala frowned. “Why?”

“What if my mother’s picture is in there and I still don’t remember her? What if there’s nothing in there and Wikoli lied to me? That would mean I went through all that for nothing.”

Kala squeezed her arm. “Why don’t you open it now? I’ll be right here beside you.”

Ona swallowed hard, drawing strength from her surrogate mother. Slowly she parted the two heart shapes. Inside was a tiny photo of a man and a woman with an infant. On the other side an inscription read: “My beautiful girls.” Ona stared at the photo for a long time. She couldn’t say that she remembered either of the people in the photo. But as she looked at the woman sensations came to her – the feel of warm hands on her face, the scent of flowers, and the feeling of complete safety. It made a warmth spread through her entire body.

“Do you remember anything?” Kala rubbed her daughter’s back gently.

Ona shook her head. “No, nothing specific. But I think…I think I loved her and she loved me.”

Kala smiled. “I’m sure she did, honey. I’m sure she did.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*&

Mikey sat quietly on the edge of their bed, watching his sweet Kala struggle with every breath. By some miracle she’d managed to live past Don’s estimate of six months. But those months had been painful for both of them. The serum had cleared up the pneumonia but it had left her weak. She’d undergone two more thoracentesis since returning home. Each had been terrifying for him to watch. It wasn’t like they had the advanced technology they had on Neutrino. Don had to use an ultrasound machine to monitor the needle. But even after undergoing so much and fighting so hard, Kala was withering away. She was skin and bones, and the color was gone from her cheeks. Despite the use of the oxygen pump night and day, her body was starved of it and it was beginning to shut down.

He reached out to stroke her hair softly. “Kala? Babe, I need you to wake up for me.” It broke his heart to see just how long and how much of a struggle it was for her to open her eyes.

Kala smiled, leaning slightly into his touch. It took a long moment for her eyes to adjust. When they did, they locked on the bundle in Mikey’s arms. “Is that?”

He nodded, his eyes shimmering. “It’s our granddaughter.”

Her eyes widened. “It’s a girl!” Her gaze shifted to the side, where she knew Kaz was knelt beside the bed. She touched his cheek with a smile. “You had a girl!”

Kaz covered her hand with his as he swallowed hard. “Yeah. We thought… We thought we’d name her Kara.”

Kala’s eyes glowed. “A beautiful name.” Her gaze shifted back to Mikey and their grandchild. She started to try to sit up. “I’d like to hold her.”

Mikey frowned at how his wife’s arm shook with the small amount of effort. He started to reach for her, but Kaz was faster. “Easy, Mom.” He helped her sit forward and piled several pillows behind her to prop her up.

Mikey laid the tiny infant in her arms. The small turtle opened her eyes and yawned. Brilliant blue orbs stared up her and long lashes adorned her eyes. Kala stroked the babe’s head. “You’re as beautiful as your name. My sweet little Kara.”

“She has your eyes.” Ona’s voice cracked though she struggled hard to keep it steady.

Mikey watched his beloved cuddle their new grandchild. He tried to commit every detail to memory – the softness of Kala’s eyes, the curiosity of Kara’s, the way Kala held her just a little tighter when she wiggled. These were the precious quiet moments they had all come to live for.

But time was a thief, stealing those precious moments away with every minute that passed.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&

Several nights later, Kala woke from a dreamless sleep. She turned her head to find her loveable turtle right beside her. He seemed to be in a deep sleep. He was likely tired. She’d heard Kara crying. It seemed the newborn was colicky like Kaz had been. The memory of her son so small made Kala smile to herself. Where had the time gone? How had he grown so fast – so strong?

Her eyes resting on Mikey, she pondered just how similar he and their son were. They both could make her laugh no matter what. They both followed their hearts without hesitation. They were both so strong and yet so gentle. Memories flooded back to her of her and Mikey’s youth. How she had adored Mikey’s smile and took every opportunity she could for him to hold her. She’d loved the feel of his leathery skin against hers. A sudden desire to touch him swept over her. She ran her fingers across his cheek, feeling the familiar contours and coolness of his skin. He let out a soft sigh and turned ever so slightly into her touch.

Tears prickled her eyes. How long had it been since she’d felt the familiar texture of his plastron against her cheek? How long had it been since she’d listened to his steady strong heartbeat? How long had it been since she’d kissed him?

Removing the oxygen mask, she pulled herself forward the few inches and pressed her lips lightly to his. It was little more than a peck, but he smiled in his sleep nonetheless. Sliding down next to him, she pressed her cheek into his chest. His arms automatically came up to hold her. Sighing softly, a smile spread across her lips as she closed her eyes. “I love you, my Michelangelo.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*&

Mikey woke to the familiar feel of Kala in his arms. Her hair tickled his chin and he smiled. It felt like ages since he’d held her like this. And for one blissful moment, it felt peaceful and perfect. But that moment was broken as his eyes snapped open and he saw the oxygen mask laying several inches away. In that heart-stopping moment, he realized that there was no movement from the bundle in his arms. No rise and fall of a chest. No heartbeat. No warmth. She was there, but not really. He clenched his eyes closed. He couldn’t look, couldn’t confirm the terrifying truth. But he had to. He couldn’t lay here forever with her in his arms, like everything was right with the world. Could he?

Some twisted part of his mind screamed yes. Maybe if he laid here long enough, he’d wake up and this would all be a horrible nightmare. But another part of him knew he was being irrational. He had to look. He had to be certain. Slowly and with a great deal of effort he pulled away from her. Then with even greater effort, he opened his eyes.

She smiled up at him, though her eyes didn’t open. Heart racing, he stroked her cheek. “Kala?” Her name was barely over a whisper. The skin beneath his fingers was far cooler than it should have been and still there was no movement. “Babe…please…” Tears blurred his vision and he couldn’t breathe. “Please…open your eyes….” A sob escaped him. “No, don’t do this. Not yet!” It was like he was being crushed by cave-in that wouldn’t stop. “No! No! You can’t!” He tried to tell himself she was just sleeping, but he’d seen too much death in his lifetime. He knew what it looked like. “Kala! Wake up! No!”

There was movement around him, though he was completely unaware of it. Until several pairs of hands took hold of him. They were pulling him away – away from her! “No!” He tried to fight them, but the world was so blurry. Only Kala mattered.

The sound of a familiar voice cried out. “Mom!”

That was all it took. The fuzz around him shattered and the world came into crystal clear focus. His brothers had a hold of him, while on the other side of the bed his son knelt sobbing and clutching his mother’s hand. “Kaz.” Leo and Raph exchanged a look, but didn’t resist when Mikey pulled away this time. He quickly made his way to the other side of the bed and fell to his knees beside his son. “Kaz…”

The younger turtle finally lifted his head to reveal a tear stained face. He suddenly threw himself against his father. “Oh, Dad! She’s gone! She’s really gone!”

Mikey shuddered as he clutched his child as tight as he could. He tried several times to speak, but his voice was stuck somewhere in his throat. When it finally came out, it was broken. “She’s not in pain anymore, Kazzey.” He closed his eyes as his own tears fell. His hand cupped the back of his son’s head. “She loved you so much. Someday we’ll see her again. I know we will. And she’ll be so happy to see us.” He licked his lips and swallowed hard. “One day we’ll hear her laugh again.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*&

**Epilogue**

Mikey stared down at the turned earth. He felt so numb all over. Every part of him felt hollow and aimless. It didn’t feel right to sit here and morn Kala. She should be beside him helping him through this. She always knew the right words to help him. She’d been his buffer and safe haven for so long. It was almost like losing a limb, she was so much a part of him. Decisions were harder by himself. Concentration was nearly impossible. Kala had been his focal point. She made everything so much easier when she was with him. He just didn’t know what to do with himself without her there.

He suddenly became aware of a presence behind him. But he wasn’t alarmed. He knew who it was. Lifting his head, he watched Leo pause for a moment a few feet away. In his hand he held a bundle of flowers.  The older brother gave a small nod of acknowledgement before strolling several feet away to another marker that had been weathered with time.

Mikey continued to watch him silently as Leo ran a hand over the small bonsai tree. Laying the flowers atop the grass covered earth, he bowed his head in a silent prayer. Then, for some time the two brothers sat in silence.  

Finally, Mikey spoke. “You asked me a long time ago, if I was in your place could I move on?” He lowered his head. “The truth is…I don’t think I can.”

There was a soft rustle as Leo came to kneel beside him. He sighed, putting an arm around his brother’s shoulders and taking several deep breaths before answering. “That was a long time ago, Mikey. Things were a lot different then. I was younger and Amaya had already been gone a long time too.” He released him, but kept a hand on his shoulder. “Only Don and Sarah have known each other longer than you and Kala. She’s a part of you. We all understand that. And no one is expecting you to just forget her overnight.”

Mikey looked up at him with haunted eyes. “How did you do it, Leo? How did you feel normal again?” He clenched his hands in his lap. “I feel so empty inside. I keep wanting to ask Kala what to do. She always knew what to say to make me feel better. But she’s not here…”

“Normal?” Leo shook his head. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt normal after finding Amaya…like that. And if you remember, I didn’t handle things very well.”

“I do remember you and Raph busting up the living room pretty bad.”

Leo allowed the smallest of smiles at the memory. “Yeah, he helped me out that day. And that’s why I want to be here for you. I’ve been there, Mikey. I know how dark that hole is you can fall into. You have to keep on living. We’ll never forget the ones we’ve lost, but they can’t be our focus.” He closed his eyes as the wind swirled around them. “We have to find a new reason to live. Shinta was mine. I might have lost Amaya, but a part of her lives in him.”

Mikey frowned. “I don’t know that I have something like that. I mean…Kaz is grown. He doesn’t need me that way.”

Leo smiled again. “I think you do have something else though.” He patted his brother’s shell as he stood. “And I think you know what it is.”

Mikey stared up at him just as a distant baby’s cry broke through the air. He blinked. “Kara.”

Leo nodded and offered his brother a hand up. “Yes. Give her all the love you can. And if you do, the pain in your heart will ease.” He frowned. “It will never fully go away, but it will lessen over time. And you know what?”

Mikey frowned. “What?”

“I think it would make Kala happy to know that you are. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other. And if you ever stumble,” Leo squeezed his shoulder, “we’ll be here to catch you.”

Mikey felt the prickle of new tears. “Thanks, Leo.”

Leo pulled him into a true embrace this time. “Anytime, little brother.”

**Author's Note:**

> A new chapter will be posted every Monday morning for a while, until I've finished my other fics. Then posts may become more frequent in relation to the series. Thank you all again! I'm giving you all a HUGE hug!


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